New Moon, New Beginning
by RandomConception
Summary: Severus had thought that all he had to look out for was ex DeatEaters but through his unfortunate meeting with the beautiful Abigail it seems otherwise...
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first for HP...if you read please review, tell me what you think of it, if I should continue or HALT! :) ...i take good and bad. The first chapters might be short and the story might be a bit scratchy but I'm working on it. **

**For my story, for now, Professor Snape and Dumbledore both live on.**

**Obviously I don't own anything or anyone you recognize from the books. Abby and her squad are mine...I don't know what else to say about it so...R&R... :)**

_Prologue_

They say that right before you die, your life should fly past your eyes. You should see images of loved ones, memories of accomplishments and sometimes even memories of things that you haven't yet done that you would have liked to.

As Severus Snape lay there on the ground, blood streaming from a mortal neck wound, his mind was blank. He couldn't feel the pain any longer as he struggled to breath through the blood choking him; he was in a bitter sweet state of numbness. His surroundings began to slowly become less and less focused, everything grew darker and colder, and he could feel death tighten its grip on him. Yet the memories wouldn't come. No images of loved ones came to mind for Snape, his life wasn't even worth enough to bring him peace in death. He had done his job, he hadn't wanted to do more and he hadn't done less. The success of his job was his only achievement. Protect the boy, play spy for the good on the bad and die with the war. Check, check, almost there.

Now that the dark lord was going to be defeated he had nothing left to live for, no one to live for and nothing else to be done. He was finished and it was now time to do something for himself.

He closed his eyes – or thought he did when everything around him became an abyss of darkness – and expected that the next thing he would see when he reopened them would be his mother, with a welcoming, forgiving and understanding smile. That is what he had led his life for. He was ready to die, just a few more seconds and he would be somewhere where he wasn't at odds with everyone around him.

* * *

Snape felt the pain which he wasn't supposed to feel. His entire body ached, his arms, his legs, his head, his insides, but by far the pain in his throat was the most excruciating. He tried to swallow but his mouth was too dry. Was he also meant to suffer in death, when death was to save him from all the pain of his life? He dreaded to open his eyes and see where it is he had ended, but from the voices he heard next he knew that it was his destiny to be tortured for the rest of eternity.

"I think I just saw his lids move!" He heard an anxious familiar voice exclaim.

"Bloody hell, you've said as much twelve times today." Came another annoyingly familiar voice, different from the first.

"I'm sure I wasn't imagining it _this_ time." The first voice added frantically.

"What is the meaning of this!" a shrill voice broke the not to hushed whispers between the two. "You two! I've told you that when Professor Snape comes around you would be the first to know! Out!"

Snape tried to open is eyes and barely managed to. Everything in the room blurred together but he noticed the two figures hurrying away from his side. One toped with jet-black hair, the other red.

After all the work he had dedicated himself to, he had still been sent to hell. Was there no mercy in the world?


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter one_

"Severus Snape!" bellowed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. "I have ordered _everyone_ to pack their belongings and depart the school. Obviously you haven't as yet opened that letter."

Snape just stared at the headmaster. "I haven't left this school for the summer in over ten years, and I don't intend to now." He spun on his foot and walked down the stone corridors heading to his classroom and office which were in the dungeons. "Good day Headmaster." He called back as he turned the corridor.

* * *

Snape scowled as he gazed out of the train's window. He was heading for a place he hadn't inhabited for over ten years. Reasons for his not ever coming back to this place were – one, it was in the muggle world, two, it was the house his muggle father had left him and three, _it was in the muggle world! _

Snape's scowl emphasized his face even more as the scenery outside grew more and more familiar. His eyes narrowed as they came upon the houses that were built near to the train track. He saw muggles walking around doing God knows only what.

'_Two months in the _**normal**_ world might do you some good, Severus. I have noticed you're even more unbearable to be around than usual. Get out and experience the world around you.' _

These were dumbldore's last 'encouraging' words to him as he forced Snape and his few belongings to Disapparate from Hogwart's grounds and to Apparate at the train station instead of Apparating straight to his parent's house. Normal world, indeed. While the part about him being unbearable to be around was true, he did not, under any circumstances, believe that he needed to _experience the world around him_.

After finally awakening to find out that he had actually not died as he should have, Snape thought to through himself back into teaching but was forced to stay on bed rest until he had made a complete recovery. To speed up his recovery Snape had forced Madam Pomfrey to let him make his own potions and heal himself. After that he had buried himself into teaching Potions and staying inside his quarters in the dungeons.

Most of the people in the Wizardry world now knew the truth about him, that he had been a double agent for Dumbledore and the side of good for a very long time. He had acted as Lord Voldemort's goon to bring information back to Dumbledore so that he and the Order could act against the Dark Lord. Some have accepted the notion but many still had their reservations even if Harry had proof of the entire account. This didn't bother Snape though, he had had everyone hate him and not trust him for so long he wouldn't have sought them to start wanting to do other wise where he was concerned, now. He regretted the entire ordeal of handing his memories over to Potter, especially since he technically owed his life to Potter.

Snape scowled. _Potter, always the bloody hero._

The train stopped and more muggles came aboard. He closed his eyes and rubbed two fingers against his temples as he heard the door to his compartment slide open.

"Hello mate, this bench taken?" came a voice that could only belong to a buffoon.

Snape lifted his face from his hand and glared at his unwelcome guest. He needn't say anything. The young muggle looked from his wardrobe to his sinister face and closed the sliding door behind him as he went in search for another compartment.

Snape sighed. He didn't hate muggles as many proud members of the Wizardry world did, he just didn't enjoy the company of _anyone_. People didn't know how to react when it came to him. Even as a small boy he had been awkward and his only friend…Snape shut his eyes and pushed that thought away. He had never had many friends, and he knew now that he had never needed them. The friends he had made in Hogwarts as a student had influenced him to become a Deatheater. People never seemed to accept him at any stage of his life, which was the only reason he stayed with his Deatheater friends, because they had seemed to have accepted him when no one else had. He had learnt from that, people do nothing but use other people, that's all a friendship is built on, the need of something from the other person. In some cases it's a genuine need but with him, under every circumstance, it wasn't. Even the truest of friends leave you in the end; he didn't need the distractions or the drama.

He glanced back out the window as the train began to move again.

The train station was empty of life, but then he noticed a woman bursting through the station's doors. He watched as she glanced up at the departing screen and as her gaze jumped to his train which was slowly picking up speed.

"Darn, missed it." Snape said to himself.

Just as he said it the girl broke into a run. He raised a brow as he watched her run along side the train. He could make out what she was yelling at the train. "H_ey!... Wait!... You asshole!... huff, puff puff...What about me?!"_

Snape frowned and wondered at how naive some people were. 'What about me?' she had asked. As if she held great importance. He watched as the train started moving even faster and she became even slower. She was still yelling at the train, but instead of trying to make out what absurdness she was saying, Snape found himself trying to take her in. She looked like she would have been tall, but it could have just been the angle at which he saw her. Her long curly hair was held up in a ponytail, it was a mixture of colors, from a darken gold to the lightest blonde. Her skin from what he could see of it under her shirt and knee-long jeans was a smooth tan. As she became smaller and angrier Snape had the strangest thing cross his mind. He hoped he was being sarcastic.

_To bad I shall probably never see her again. She was quite an interesting being._

"For a muggle." He quickly added. Satisfied that he could no longer see her he turned his attention back to a potions book he was writing before all these nonsense of thoughts had disrupted him.


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter two_

Snape was assaulted twice by clumsy muggles as he tried to depart the train. They had no sense of order or circulation. He gathered his bag that held everything he owned inside of it and walked briskly through the front doors of the station. He was finally here. Sadly.

He looked around to find somewhere private where he could Disapparate to his house, but before he could he was stopped by an elderly man.

"You must be Severus Snape." Came a crackly old voice behind him.

He turned and had to glance down at the man with horrifyingly wrinkled features and hair white as snow. "Excuse me?" He watched as the elderly man took in his robes and dark features.

"Name's Ben Bishop. Albus asked me to meet you here and take you to your house. Also wanted me to tell ya something." The little old man scratched his head. Snape just stared at him, waiting. Recollection brightened his pale eyes. "Ah, told me to tell ya that he wanted ya to do things the normal way." Confusion crossed his features as he thought about what he had just said. He shrugged, "He said that you would understand what that meant."

"Indeed." Snape was angry. _Do things the normal way. _Sometimes he truly hated Dumbledore. Dumbledore was a great wizard in the sense that he could control and yield great magic. But like many others he befriended muggles, which Snape thought was a waste of precious energy, especially if they knew nothing of the wizardry world. Don't misunderstand, Snape didn't hate muggles, he just wouldn't count them as people he would be friends with.

Snape scowled, he didn't need friends, muggle or otherwise.

The little old man raised a brow. "Shall we be off then?"

Snape offered him a curt nod of the head and followed him to a car. He didn't have anything to do with muggles because it was too much work. Many people in the wizardry world ignored muggles completely for many reasons. Firstly there was the world difference between them, secondly the culture barrier and thirdly the technology. As wizards and witches they don't pay much attention to what the latest electronic is created because they would have no need for it. But to exist with these muggles or "normal" people, as it were, it would bring knowledge of their existence if they didn't know what a car was used for. Can you imagine how to explain you lack of knowledge of something to someone who uses it every day? Even worst, what if they saw someone yielding magic? Cults would form, they would all be hunted, it would be the Salem Witch Hunt times the thousands.

"You shall probably have to help me with the directions, lad. My eyes and mind do not see or recognize what they used to." The crackly little voice jarred Snape from his thoughts.

"Indeed they wouldn't." He didn't mean it to be rude, just to agree.

But either the old man's ears were just as useless or he didn't mind, for all he said was, "You're a man of lesser than few words Mr. Snape."

With that, the ride into the forest was accompanied by silence.

Just the way Snape preferred it.

* * *

If Snape had ever been angrier, he couldn't remember.

Standing right next to his house was another. He had only kept the place for it was miles away from the nearest town and he would have no neighbors. He had thought that no one would ever venture out this far into the woods unless hunting, so he had not bothered with a spell to disguise the house from the eyes of the world. Yet there it stood. He would have never thought that a house could look so opposing, but this one in particular was just a few meters from his own. They had the whole forest to choose a plot of land from. Why in heaven did they build next to his!

The elderly man, after noticing how angry Snape had gotten, had explained that a couple had built the house almost five years ago. After a tragic accident, leaving them both dead, two years ago, the home was left to a relative.

"Indeed." Was all that he could manage to respond.

"Value you're privacy, eh?" The little old man offered him a less than toothy smile that wrinkled his face even more. "Dumbledore has notified me that ya don't like company. Truly sorry," he said pointing a thumb at the ominous building, "So enjoy yer stay anyway."

With that he was off.

Snape finally took his narrowed eyes off of the house sitting innocently to the left and looked at the house in front of him. In the last ten years nothing had changed. It still looked like an empty old house that didn't bring any memories to life for him. The only difference was that the yard around the house was overgrown with plants and weeds. His mother had placed a grounds keeping spell on the land when she had still lived in this house. But along with her the spell had died. He looked into the dark windows not expecting to see anything, so wasn't surprised when they were just dark windows.

Snape walked to the front door which at his order opened before he even reached it, and he stepped inside.

Off to the left there was the kitchen which, since his father was a muggle, had all the essentials. He placed his bag on the floor next to the front door and walked into the kitchen. He flicked on the light. Obviously Dumbledore had called ahead of him and put on all the electricity. Two lights, after shimmering a moment, came on at both sides of the room. He looked from the kitchen to the dinning table that was to the back of the room. He couldn't remember ever eating at it during his childhood, least of all sitting there with his parents.

Turning on his foot he gathered up his things and stepped back into the hallway. He followed it the short distance to the living room. He could not remember ever sitting in there with his parents either. They had fought so much that neither had ever stayed in one room together longer than was needed. He did however remember, as he looked around the small room taking in the couches and fireplace in the far side, that his father had often slept in this room. This was another reason Snape had never really stayed long down here.

Off to the side there was the staircase leading up to the two bedrooms. Once upstairs he ignored the room to the right and the door to the left sprang open. Stepping inside he locked the door behind him looking forward to never leaving the room again for the duration of his stay.

Or so he thought.


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter three_

Snape sat on his childhood bed and stared around his room, at the dark wood walls and ceiling. When he had first entered, it was just the way he had left it before attending Hogwarts. Bare. There was only his bed and a cabinet with a few drawers. There was and had never been anything in it that showed that a child had lived in it. There was a corridor between his room and his parent's old room that was lined with book shelves. Books he had probably read hundreds of times back to back.

Now his room had a few extra things. He had conjured a bookcase which now held all of the books he was reading and books that he was working on. He had sent all his clothes, which included his robes and dark shirts and trousers, into the few drawers he had and he laid his wand down on his bedside table.

Sighing he laid down on his bed. Then finding his legs dangling off the end of it, he hexed it to fit his body perfectly. Sighing again he closed his eyes.

Two seconds later…

_Knock knock._

* * *

Abigail sighed as she finally opened her front door. Immediately she was greeted with whining and whimpering.

"Yes, yes. I know, I'm sorry I'm late." She stressed the last word. She took her time petting each of her four dogs. Max the golden retriever mixed with chow was always the first, since he was the most aggressive cuddler. Next was Susie the black Scottish terrier. She was the smallest dog but when Max was off duty she took full charge. Then was Bob, the mutt and sweetest of the bunch.

Abby looked around the room for her fourth and latest addition – Wolf. She named him such because she was pretty sure that he was a wolf. He was probably a mix with one because he was just too well behaved to be a lone wolf that wandered onto her land and into her house. He wasn't the leader of the group like she thought he might try to become, he just sat in the background and watched everyone. But the other dogs knew when to give him space.

When he had first arrived in her garden she was planting some flowers – not that she enjoyed gardening, she just wanted a bit more color in her yard. He had wandered up behind her and began to whine. Thinking it was one of her dogs she told him, _'Come on now, this is my time, and mommy needs some space.'_ To this he began to nudge her thigh. When she turned she was only startled for a moment before she could make out the blood draining from his side. Feeling his pain she urged him into the house and took care of his wounds.

Her first thought was that his pack had abandoned him. She was warned that wolves lived in this area of the forest, but after keeping a watchful eye on the injured wolf she wondered if she could have been wrong. Animals were always calm around her – unless it's Max, who's just too hyper to be calm around anyone – but she wouldn't have thought that she would have that effect on a wild wolf.

"Wolf?" she called out, beginning to walk through the house. The house was given to her from a great aunt and uncle that she had never met. She had, however, heard her parents talking about the two. From what she heard they weren't normal relatives, that they weren't quite sane and that they lived in England. This was all she knew. Why they had left her the house, she would never know.

When she had first arrived she had been greeted with strange stares when she had asked for directions to this house. Her aunt's lawyer had later explained that the village's people were extremely superstitious and didn't trust the strange. They had thought her relatives insane and the house next to their own haunted.

She smiled as she thought of her first few days in the village. While getting everything sorted out she had stayed in an inn and heard many different absurd stories about her relatives and this region of the forest they had lived in. In the beginning she had ignored the stares and questions but after about a month people had gotten used to her and most have actually started to like her.

She had arrived here from America so she was glad when she made a few friends in the village. Coming straight from Los Angeles she had never seen so many trees or animals. It shocked her how fast she got used to the climate difference and culture difference – it was as if she was meant to live here her entire live.

"There you are." She exclaimed once she found Wolf sitting at the low windowsill in her bedroom. He had his back towards her staring intently at the house to the left of her own. "What are you looking at?"

Wolf turned and looked at her with eyes full of hidden intelligence. She walked over to his side and he began to wag his tail. As she reached the window the other dogs started barking, letting her know that they had had enough of staying inside. But she barely heard them as she looked out of her window and saw a man walk across a window in the house that she had, until then, thought vacant.

* * *

Abby knocked loudly on the dark wood door. After letting her dogs run wild into the forest, she had practically ran over to the dark house next to her own.

Seconds pasted and she waited. Suddenly the door was open and there stood a man in black robes.

She stared at him, looking him up and down. His eyes and hair were as black as his robes and the shirt that was under the robes were also the same color. Yet he didn't look gothic, he just looked like he wore black clothes. His skin was pale, as if he had never seen the sun – but then again they were in a forest in England. His expression, when he had first opened the door was annoyed but then he looked like he was shocked to see her, it was as if he had recognized her. But a second later he looked bored and she wondered if she had imagined his second expression.

"Yes?" he asked her, his voice rough and low and absolutely snide. Yet, somehow that voice entered her body and spread, leaving her skin tingling. How strange.

"Oh." Abby rarely felt embarrassed but she could feel her cheeks grow pink as his gaze stayed on her own. "Well hi, I'm Abby. I live next door." She let out a nervous laugh, sounding sort of hysterical and she was sure her cheeks pinkened even more. What was wrong with her?

"Clearly." His voice held a tone of authority as if he were speaking to, what only she could describe, a peasant. In this case the peasant was her.

Feeling like a fool and his response had her feeling rather annoyed. "Well, I just wanted to introduce myself. Did you just move in?" she asked truly curious, yet annoyed at the same time.

"No."

When it looked like he wasn't going to supply a future response Abby narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, an ingrained habit. "So, what then? Have you lived here for years and I have just now caught a glance of you?"

She watched as his own eyes narrowed. The silence stretched on, longer than she felt comfortable with. When her skin started to itch from the tension, she was surprised as his harsh features softened to amusement. Just for a second and then harsh swiftly came back.

"If you insist." He began and he held out his hand for her as he said, "I am Severus Snape. I have always owned this house but haven't been back in about ten years."

Smiling, Abby placed her hand into his own and shook it. "Well if you wanted it more formal you should have just said so. Abigail Anderson, at you service."

* * *

Snape dropped her hand suddenly as he realized that he had been holding onto it for over a minute. She didn't seem to have noticed but it definitely bothered him. She still wore the same jeans and shirt that she had worn whilst chasing the train. The current smile on her face with the soft shade of pink in her cheeks must have confused his senses.

Gray.

He had wondered what color her eyes might have been. Gray – it seemed an ominous color, but there was a hint of blue in them. Or was it green?

He caught a shiver run through her upper body and he fought the urge to invite her in.

"Well, it's been a pleasure," he meant to turn but stopped mid-swing at the look on her face. She looked outraged.

"You wait one minute mister," she took one hand off her hips to form a fist at her side. She was a sight. At that particular moment the wind decided to pick up and sent tendrils of her hair flying around her face. He had never thought of anyone being so beautiful and she wasn't even very classical in her appearance, yet his body responded. It was subtle but it was there nonetheless.

Her cheeks pink her expression determined she continued, "You…"

And he slammed the door in her face.

Snape stood on the inside of the door totally horrified with himself. Had he just childishly slammed the door in someone's face?

He was surprised and curious about the silence that was on the other side of the door. It lasted for minutes. He was about to go back upstairs when the knocks came again.

Flabbergasted, Snape opened the door and saw the angry woman with her arms crossed against her chest. She was looking at his angry face and then her features softened. Then suddenly she was smiling again.

Snape raised a brow and she just stood there smiling up at him. He felt uncomfortable and rudely asked, "What?"

Her smile disappeared and her eyes filled with something he'd never seen anyone look upon him with. He couldn't place the emotion.

"Are you always so rude?" her crossed arms had loosened and she was rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

Sidetracked by the way her hands ran over her skin he answered almost in wonder, "Yes."

"Well I won't take it to heart then."

The slight sound of teeth clattering had his gaze moving from her arms to her face where her chin shivered a bit.

Stuck by the same desire he had before he slammed the door in her face, he fisted his hands and ground out, "Would you prefer to come inside and become better acquainted?"

Another smile brightened her face, showing him her very straight pearly teeth. Worst of all it brought to his attention her full pink lips. He suppressed a groan. He hadn't looked at a woman in years, especially not at Hogwarts where most of the female teachers were either lunatics or older than death. And _she's a muggle_, he told himself.

Then there was hesitation on her face. She looked back at her house then into the forest. Curiosity had him waiting.

She shot him a smile and said, "Um, one second." Then he watched in horror as she put two fingers into her mouth and let out a whistle. _This woman was_ a_bsurd and ghastly_, he thought to himself.

One second later his ears were assaulted by the wild calls of dogs. Moments later three dogs – well two dogs and what looked like a puppy in a sweater – came running towards his house.

He glanced back at the woman at his side and she gave him a lopsided smile. "My babies." She told him.

"Indeed." He watched as they gained access to his front porch, he wanted to kill something as they began to sniff at his robes. "They will not be joining us within this house." He let her know while she stroked and talked to her beasts.

"Oh, I know." She grinned.

While Snape wondered what in heaven she was waiting for another dog joined them in his yard but did not come closer than the front steps. This beast however was no house pet, Snape realized as he watched the wolf suspiciously.

"You have a wolf for a pet?" he asked her, wondering her mad.

"He is, isn't he?" she sighed and continued, "Well, he came to me wounded. I think he was in a fight with another wolf and his pack must have kicked him out because they wouldn't have left him behind. Would they? I couldn't find it in me to call someone to take him. So I helped him and he won't leave." She quickly averted her gaze from Snape's face to the wolf in the yard. "Not that mommy wants you to leave." She quickly added reassuring the animal.

Snape watched the wolf wag its tail and then listened as Abigail gave him instructions to watch the other dogs.

She was indeed, insane.

_**A/N: If you read, please review... we writers need some sort of motivation...with out words of praise or dismissal I don't know whether or not I am wasting my time trying to writing this.**_

**_:) Review :)_**


	5. Chapter 4

**_A/N: I promise some action will start to come your way in the next chapter...whoever is reading...but I couldn't have gotten to anything I want to write without letting them get to know each other a little bit more, even though they still now squat about each other._**

**_Also my chapters won't be consistent in length...can't control that yet :)_**

**_And a big thanks and hey to HalfBloodPrincess6891 my first and...so far only reviewer...boo to the rest of you for not showing some love sigh_**

_Chapter Four_

Snape couldn't take his eyes off Abigail's eyes as they wandered through his house. She had to look at every picture on every wall, into every door that stood open and then she would gaze up at him, as if to make sure he was still there, and then back at whatever had caught her eye.

Snape took these moments to take her in again. Like he had thought earlier, she was tall, perhaps five-ten or five-eleven because she wasn't that far from his six-four. It was mostly her legs from what he could tell. The shaking of her hand had proven his thoughts correct, that her skin was smooth to the touch. Her golden hair was thick and rich; it hung from a messy bun and loose tresses curled around her face and down her neck. Once when she had flipped her head to the side her long hair had slapped across his chest and he could smell the faint smell of strawberries in the air. He had an absurd longing to reach out to touch it, as strange a feeling that was he couldn't deny his need to. It took all of his will power to refrain from doing so.

Sick of wanting to touch her hair and having to fight himself not to, he cleared his throat. "Shall we sit in the living room?"

"Okay."

* * *

Abby watched the way this mysterious man moved as he led her to yet another darkly furnished room. His entire house was dark, she'd bet that upstairs was the same. Yes, he was mysterious and he was dark but she doubted it was his hand that had made this house look as it did today. As strange as it were, he didn't look as though he belonged in this house. Neither did he look comfortable to even be here. It could just be that she was there but she doubted it.

As they sat she wondered who he was. What was he doing here all alone? Why was he so rude and why did he seem so…she would have thought lost, but he didn't seem like the type of man that would be lost. The best word to describe him was empty, as if there was something he was missing and he wouldn't be complete without it. Most of all he looked tired. Why she even cared she had no idea.

She looked over at him, at his withdrawn expression. His skin was pale over is masculine face. His cheek bones were well defined and he had a strong jaw. His nose was large but not overly so that it didn't fit his face. All in all he had the face and stance of an old-world aristocrat. His raven-black hair was slick and thick down to his shoulders, which were broader than she had first imagined. His eyes which at first looked empty held life. They were black but there was something there, she could feel it. She lowered her gaze to his lips which were a thin line across his jaw. His bottom lip was slightly fuller than the top and she found herself wondering if they were as firm as the looked right now.

She watched as he opened his mouth then closed it again and then he stared past her head to the wall behind her. She turned to look at it but there was nothing there.

He was obviously not the biggest talker.

"Well, I guess I'll begin." She gathered her breath. "As I said, my name is Abigail but I'd rather you call me Abby. I just moved into my house about a year ago." She thought back, "Yeah, a year it would be now. My great aunt and uncle built it; I never knew them, heard from the villagers that they were working with wolves up in the forest. After they died two years ago they left it to me…

* * *

Snape watched her full lips move as she went on to tell him that she had moved here from Los Angeles. American. He knew. She explained, again, that she had never met her great aunt and uncle. She told him that while in America she had worked at an animal shelter, but when she had gotten the call that she had just inherited a house in England she found homes for her last few strays and jumped on a plane to England.

She continued to talk about events that took place after she had arrived but Snape's mind had strayed from her words and instead he just enjoyed the move of her lips and the soft sound of her voice. He had just met her and he seemed to be drawn to her. He was a fool, yet he couldn't stop his reaction to her. He had to get her out of his house soon.

"Is there something on my face?"

Her raised brow and amused face jarred his thoughts. He cleared his throat, "No."

She laughed. The sound went right through him, made him want to be capable of laughing, or smiling.

"What do you find so amusing?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." She stopped laughing but her grin was still in place.

"Do tell." Now he was really curious.

"I don't think I will. Let's talk about you."

He had noticed she hadn't told him anything that had happened prior to her gaining the house. She hadn't really told him that much about herself, just pivoted back and forth between not very relevant or personal events. He was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to know everything about her.

Since what he really wanted to do was let her talk forever about herself, he asked, "What is it you want to know?"

He watched as she thought about it and he smiled on the inside. Her face was so vivacious.

The question she asked caught him of guard.

"Are you a vampire or a wizard or something?" she asked as her gaze moved over his robes.

He cleared his throat, "I'm not sure I quite understand your query."

She smiled, she smiled a lot. "I'm just pulling your leg."

Snape had no idea what she was talking about. Muggles's seemed to speak an entirely different language and she was American which was even more different then British. Assuming her statement meant that she was joking with him he responded, "Funny."

"You like to keep your side of a conversation short and simple, don't you?" The smile still hadn't left her face but it did however soften slightly as she made this remark.

"Yes."

"Ah," She closed her eyes and Snape was struck by how long her eyelashes were as they fanned her cheeks. She peeked at him through one eye and sat back up. "Alright, what is it you do?"

"I am a professor."

"You teach in a college?" she asked her eyes widening with interest.

Snape sighed; every word between them had two different meanings. "No, it is actually a secondary school system that I work for." Obviously he left out the part about it being a wizardry school. He wondered how she would react if he had told her as much. From what he could tell about her she would probably laugh and respond with something that would shock him as much as that knowledge should have shocked her.

"What subjects do you teach?"

"Chemistry." It was, to some extent.

"Wow, I flunked that class in high school." Her eyes narrowed and her smile shifted, became more subtle as she thought back.

"Indeed."

"I love how you British folk say that," she laughed, "You say it more than the average Brit though."

He raised a brow at her. She was so ludicrous, and yet he didn't find her annoying like he would if she were any other person. How odd.

"My boys are in high school, I wonder if they attend where you work. What is the school's name?"

Snape nearly choked on his breath.

* * *

"Oh my, are you alright?" Abby was by his side in a second. She slapped him hard on his back but stopped at the ominous look in his eyes. One moment he was choking and the next he was fine and reprimanding her for trying to help. Again she felt as though she had imagined what had happened.

She placed her hands at her sides and sat back down. "I was only trying to help."

He ignored her statement and asked, "You have children?"

Understanding what had caused his near death she was slightly flattered that she had caught him off guard, since she doubted that many people did, she forgot about his reaction to her touching him and smiled.

"Oh, well no. I'm taking care of a friend's two kids while she's in Germany for the summer. Johnny is fourteen and Fred fifteen. They are at summer camp now but they still needed somewhere to go during the weekend. They will be visiting during the weekend; I'll introduce you to them then."

She watched as he began to relax and watched his expression change to something she couldn't quite comprehend. "How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Twenty-nine."

He was composed again, but she was sure something in his eyes shifted when he said, "I honestly thought you were younger."

"I'm flattered. Do you mind if I ask you how old you are?"

"No."

And he waited, he lifted a brow and she laughed. "Ah, that was a joke. Never thought you had it in you."

"Indeed."

"So, how old are you Severus?"

The sound of his name leaving her lips did something to him, and he hated it. Not many people called him by his first name but even if they had, coming from her mouth it came out in what he could only describe as a caress. "I am thirty-eight."

"Hmm." She mused.

"Yes?"

"Nothing." She smiled. She watched his gaze lower to her lips and she felt something in her begin to warm. She was definitely attracted to him.

"What is your line of work, Miss Anderson?"

"Abby." She corrected and waited.

"Abby then."

"Well, I guess you can say I'm a bum." She looked at his face and clearly he had no idea what she was saying. "I inherited some money; it should keep me going for a while. Right now I'm just helping out the animal shelter, fostering dogs and trying to find them homes. I also volunteer at the old folks home in a neighboring village because their low on staff." She leaned back on the couch and stared at the old ceiling sighing, "I will have to look for a job soon though, saving the world doesn't pay what it used to."

"Indeed it doesn't." He agreed. The way he said it sounded as if he knew exactly what she was feeling.

Abby hadn't realized how close she was sitting to the mysterious man until she realized that the heat she felt around her was emanating off of his body. She shifted her eyes to one of the few windows and saw that it was getting darker with every second that pasted, but she had the strangest feeling that she shouldn't leave, just sit there with him a little while longer.

* * *

Snape wondered if this woman realized how close she was to him. Her soft thighs brushed against his and if she didn't start talking again he was afraid that he might go mad. The smell of her hair engulfed his senses and he was suddenly consumed with the urge to lean over and rub his face into her mass of hair. He could still feel the imprint of her hand on his thigh from when she tried to balance herself as she slapped him on the back earlier. He didn't like his reaction to her. Did not like the way she didn't seem to annoy him the way everyone does. He was a private man and she was evading his privacy.

"It will soon be dark; I do not want to keep you from your duties."

"My duties?" she asked, still staring at his roof.

"Do you not have things to do?"

She chuckled and the sound rolled over him. He was on his feet a second later staring down at her.

"Trying to get rid of me so soon, Professor Snape?" She lifted her head and stared into his eyes.

Snape, who has never been lost for words, struggled to think of how to reply. He didn't want to hurt her feelings for some reason, but he had to get her out of his house immediately.

"You should join me for dinner tonight." Excitement brightened her eyes.

"I…I don't think that I could," Snape was horrified, he hadn't stuttered since he was a student in Hogwarts. He was definitely not going to be spending more time with this woman. He valued his solitude. He didn't need this, nor did he want this.

_What is 'this'?_ His mind shot at him.

He didn't know, he just didn't want anything to do with this woman.

"Well, it wasn't a question or a suggestion."

Snape pushed his wild thoughts to the side and once again narrowed his eyes at her. "It was indeed a suggestion."

Abby could see that he was trying to push her away. Well she wasn't having it. "Well now it's an order, Mr. Snape." She got up and strode to his front door leaving the flabbergasted dark man sitting on the couch.

"Dinner will be ready at eight." She yelled behind her.


	6. Chapter 5

_**A/N: This was originally in the Fouth Chapter, but it was really long so I thought that I would break it in half. The next chapter is a new one. Enjoy!**_

_Chapter Five_

Snape paced his bedroom.

No one that knew him would ever challenge him and no one he had ever met had ever caught him off guard. He prided him self on being collected and intimidating. People knew to steer clear of him, to not annoy him and to leave him alone. Yet along came this woman who affected him enough for his own instincts to defy him. Behind that easy smile was something to reckon. She left him edgy and whilst he was immensely annoyed he realized that it wasn't directed at her. He was infuriated.

He looked at his clock. Seven forty-five. He was not under any circumstances going to indulge her. He was an unbearable man. Why she thought him different was beyond him.

His mind strayed to her kindness. She rescued animals, offered up her summer to watch a friend's children and she volunteered at an old folk's home. None of this should impress him; he was not the sort who wanted to care about other people. Maybe she felt sorry for him. Perhaps she thought that such a lonely man needed someone to treat him nicely and maybe he would magically become a nicer person.

Snape walked past his window and looked down at her house. From where his room was located he could see a fair portion of her kitchen. He saw shadows dance and then she came into his view. From what he could see she was still wearing the clothes she had left his house in. Her hair however was cascaded down her back. It swayed with every move she made and he had the sudden urge to touch it again.

Snape scowled and pressed his palm to his temple trying to dispel the sudden images of her. As he opened his eyes again and looked down at her house again he noticed that she was staring up at him.

Snape froze, when he finally realized what she was doing he wanted to laugh, but instead he frowned. She was tapping one hand against her wristwatch and scowling up at him.

He turned and looked at his own clock. Seven fifty-eight. Had thirteen minutes passed already? He looked back to her window but she was gone.

Snape sighed as he finally gave in and walked down his stairs.

* * *

Abby had just finished setting the table when there came three abrupt knocks on her door. She smiled to herself. _Success!_

She walked to the door, smoothed down her apron and settled her hand on the doorknob.

From the look on his face she could tell that Severus Snape was not happy to be standing in her doorway. He looked cruel and arrogant. His posture was rigid and his eyes suspicious. He was not a happy man, she could feel it coming off his body and it made the room slightly darker. She hadn't noticed it earlier because his house was already so cold and dark, but as he stood in front of her now she knew…that she couldn't let him go back to that house alone just yet.

"Hi." She stepped aside and waited for him to walk into her home.

Snape hesitated for a second and stalked into the hallway. The first thing that he noticed was that this house looked inhabited. The walls in the hallway were a warm yellow; there were a few small framed paintings on the wall here and there. Beside the umbrella stand was a coat rake and an antique table with wild flowers in a vase on top of it.

He looked down at Abby who was staring back up at him. She still had her hand on the door and the wind, which had picked up quite a bit, was raging outside.

"Are you going to close that?" he smirked.

Surprise reddened her cheeks.

"Oh," she quickly closed the door and led the way into the kitchen.

Snape followed.

"Its almost ready," she looked back at him from the stove. "I hope you like pasta."

He was fond.

Snape stood in the doorway to the kitchen. It was moderately bigger then his own. Everything in it looked like it has actually been used and again color was splattered over everything. The walls, like in the hallway were a warm yellow, there were fake grape vines hanging from the cabinets and every different kitchen utensil was a different color.

"Have a seat," she told him.

Snape brought his attention back to Abby who was hovering over pots with her back towards him. When she didn't specify where he should sit he walked over to the table which was in the middle of the kitchen and sat down facing her.

Amazingly her hair was back up on top of her head, twisted into a very messy and large bun. This allowed Snape a view of her neck, which was long and elegant. She turned to smile at him and a slight glitter drew his eyes to her ear, which had two stud earrings in it. Snape didn't much appreciate body piercing but this didn't bother him.

"So, you said that you haven't been back here for about ten years. Where have you been living?" came her voice as she turned back to the cooking.

"I have been staying at the school. It's a boarding school up north. Staff and students are required to stay during the school year." he answered as he lowered his gaze to her shoulders. They moved as she stirred and he couldn't take his eyes away. "You can leave the school for weekends, holidays and summer vacation."

Abby headed over to a cabinet and opened the top door to reach for some ingredient. "Where do you go then when everyone leaves the school?"

Snape held his breath as she stood on her toes to stretch for something in the top cupboard. Her shirt had moved along with her arm and he caught a glimpse of her smooth tan stomach but quickly looked away.

All that smooth skin. His Body felt hot and he felt edgy and not himself at all. He looked back over at Abigail and saw that she was looking at him expectantly with a can in her hand. Had she asked him something?

"Sorry?" Why was his mouth so dry?

"Where do you go then during the holidays if you don't ever come back here?" she walked back to the stove.

"Nowhere." He said because, well why lie?

She was quiet for a moment as she played with the pots. Snape wondered if she was probably thinking about how pathetic he was.

"Oh," she practically whispered. "So you stay at the school."

It didn't require an answer so he sat quiet, staring at her back again. She had a thin waist he noticed but her hips her generous, so were her breasts which he had noticed when the shirt had stretched over them as she had reached for that can. Her tight jeans showed that her legs were probably muscular and again he noticed how long they were.

He almost groaned in frustration, when finally she took out plates and began to share out food.

"What would you like to drink?" she asked as she finished up the plates.

"What ever your having." he answered, not knowing what muggles drank frequently and not really wanting to find out.

A gentleman would have offered to help her with something. Snape scoffed silently, well she had better not had expected him to behave like a gentleman, he was anything but gentle.

She placed his plate in front of him and her own in the seat across from his. Then she walked back to the kitchen and got them something to drink.

Snape looked down at the food in front of him and then back at the woman who had prepared it. He didn't know muggle stereotypes but he had thought that she might be someone who would just heat up pre-made food in that object they call a microwave.

It smelt heavenly though, and it looked good and this surprised him.

* * *

Abby sat across from Severus and slide his glass of water over to him. She watched as he looked at it to her and amusement crossed his features. No smile, just amusement.

"You did say what ever I was drinking," she reminded him.

"Yes, no problem, it's just," he averted his gaze.

"What?" she asked truly curious.

"Never you mind."

She would have pressed for more but he had changed the subject. "Tell me more about the two boys you're watching. Johnny and Fred was is?"

"Oh, well their mother Anne, who has come to be a good friend of mine, had to resolve some family dispute in Germany. Let's just say that it's a situation that she didn't want the boys around for. She mentioned it one day and I told her that I had no problem with them coming to stay with me during the weekend breaks from camp. They really are sweet kids." Abby noticed that Severus hadn't touched his food yet. Having a feeling that he was waiting for her to take the first bite she did. She smiled as he picked up his fork to follow her.

"Good?"

"Descent," he said not looking at her.

Abby laughed and he raised his head to look at her. She looked down at his long elegant fingers wrapped around his fork. He sat there in his chair, rigid and proper. It was driving her crazy how calm he was and how unable she was to read what he was thinking.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked because she had to know.

Taken aback by the question he answered truthfully, "I was just thinking that this is going to be a long summer." He raised his head and tried to read her expression, it looked as though she knew something that he didn't, and that irritated him. "What about you?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

**_A/N: ReViEw!...PlEaSe?!_**


	7. Chapter 6

**_A/N: This is the newest chapter, duh :)._**

_Chapter Six_

Snape lay on his back staring up at the dark-wood ceiling in his room. He couldn't sleep, he wasn't tired, and he couldn't banish the images of Abigail.

Frowning he closed his eyes. Had she hexed him? It was impossible. She was no witch, she had absolutely no powers. Then why was he so at ease around her? Why did his body react to the sight of her like it's never reacted to a woman's before? It was subtle and yet it was absolute.

He squeezed his eyes shut tighter and contemplated whether or not to take a sleeping potion.

Pathetic as it may seem, Snape had never really been in a relationship before. He had taken care of his needs here and there but had never wanted the company of a woman long enough to allow anything more. Women, like muggles, were a distraction and nuisance in every sense of the word. And the one woman that was now taking over his mind's eye was both.

Snape opened his eyes. The roof was still black. The shadows from outside his window covered the entire room at that moment. Then he watched as the shadows seemed to slither back towards the window allowing the room to grow lighter and lighter with the shine of the moon. The stringy shadows looked like ominous talons.

Snape wondered why Abigail was bothering with him. She did seem to concur with everyone that he was a rude man, which he thought would make him automatically unbearable. Yet she had talked with him and ignored his rude remarks and attitude and then invited him over for dinner. She couldn't have possibly found him interesting, for he hadn't said much and had barely answered her questions. Perhaps she was just extremely lonely in this new place.

_Why __**would**__ she be interested in someone like you?_

Snape scowled. He had no interest in her what so ever either, even if his body reacted to her. It had been a very long time since he had been with a woman, at this point he would have been attracted to Professor McGonagall. She was nothing special; nothing in this world was special.

He closed his eyes again and hoped to sleep a dreamless sleep. He hoped the dreams wouldn't come to haunt him this night like they did every night. He just wanted a break, some time to really relax and not wake up sweating and guilty.

* * *

Abby lay on her bed with the covers pulled up to her chin and stared at the ceiling. Her mind was running over the events of the day. Particularly over the mysterious man she had encountered. Her mind filled with images of Severus, with his long elegantly dark features and rude habits.

She smiled, he was rather rude, _but_ he was interesting. Not that he had ever said anything that had blown her mind or had changed her life for forever. It was rather what he didn't say that made him so darn interesting. He was like a mystery that was waiting to be solved…or _reluctantly_ waiting to be solved. And boy did she want to know everything about him.

When he had gotten up abruptly from her table earlier saying that it was time for him to leave, she hadn't wanted him to. She had nodded however, because it was a crazy feeling that she should get over and walked him to the door. He hadn't turned to wish her good night, he hadn't even really thanked her for the meal, he just murmured something she couldn't make out as he walked through her door and left her standing there staring after him.

It didn't bother her as much as she thought it would, how withdrawn he was, because in all honesty, she didn't know him. He could just be rude, or he could be awkward in social situations, or maybe he was in someway traumatized enough to not let anyone know the real him, or this could really be the real him. Either way, Abby was not going to judge him because a person couldn't help but be who they _are_, and should just be accepted as they are.

She was jarred from her thoughts by an animal's slight whimper, which was coming from across her room. She sat up and saw Wolf sitting at her windowsill – the same one he was sitting at earlier today - staring down at Severus' yard.

She frowned, he seemed to be acting very strange lately, he's always looking over there and when Severus had arrived for dinner he had ran upstairs and hadn't come back down during Severus' stay.

She walked over to where he sat and crouched down beside him. "What is it boy?" He turned his head and licked her uneasily on the cheek and pawed the glass staring at the grounds again as his body twitched with restlessness.

She looked down at Severus' yard and saw only the shadows of trees. She slid her gaze from side to side looking for what had gotten Wolf so worked up. Then her eyes crept to the window that she assumed was Severus' since she had always spotted him in its space but saw nothing.

Suddenly from the corner of her eye she saw movement down below. She snapped her eyes in the general direction of the movement and watched as the figure of a man came into view. Her heart started racing as she saw the shadowy figure run to the other side of the house. She squinted her eyes but couldn't see him any longer. Suddenly there was a shadow on the roof and she thought that there had to be more than one guy trying to break into Severus' house.

Not thinking very clearly Abby grabbed a big shirt, stuffed her arms and head through it and ran for her stairs.

* * *

Snape sat up the moment he knew someone was outside his house. Thankful for the intrusion to his thoughts he took out his wand and walked briskly across his room and thought a curse to make the door slid open noiselessly and to cover any noises that he might make. Then he crept out into the hall and prepared to wait for the intruder to come down from the attic.

He was just about impatient enough to hex the floor of the roof to disappear so he could get rid of the intruder when he heard a slight noise downstairs. He was sure that he had just heard a window open and he whipped around towards the stairs confused.

He frowned, trying to listen for more noises and wondered if it could just be muggle pranksters. No. He felt magic in the air, dark magic. It made the air thick and oppressive.

Like a fool he allowed curiosity to win over self preservation and he crept down the stairs to see what the hell was going on.

He had just reached the last step when he heard a soft thud on the ground. The house was dark but his eyes bulged as he noticed Abigail's slight figure getting up off of his ground. His senses told him that the person in his attic was on the move.

Calm, he stalked up behind Abigail who was bending over to close the window and wrapped his right arm around her waist as he secured his left hand over her mouth. He wanted to reprimand her for her stupidity and shake her until her hair spilled from that bun on top of her head. Angry he pulled her against his body and dragged her to the closet under his stairs.

He was slightly impressed at the fight she had in her as she struggled to break his grip. Leaning in he pressed his lips to her ear and shhed her. Almost immediately she was limp and quiet against him. Did she really know it was him, from a simple sound?

He turned her in his arms and eased his hand from her mouth, "I-" she tried and his hand was on her mouth again. He leaned back towards her and was confused when her eyes widened in anticipation.

He was distracted for a moment when he realized that his hand had brushed against her bare thigh. But then anger consumed him again.

"I will be right back. Don't you move or make a sound until I come back."

And thank Merlin, she didn't.

**_A/N: Ooo, the excitement! lol _**

**_Now I have noticed that many 'many' people have viewed my story but apparently__ they have no enthusiasm_ for it because they aren't reviewing, I must be a horrible writer! I should just delete this and never look at it again. But for the few who do review, for you I will continue!**


	8. Chapter 7

**_A/N: A big Thank You to Istani_****_, HalfBloodPrincess6891_****_, Mark Darcy_****_, and Mrstrantham_****_ for your lovely reviews. A bit more action in this chapter, its amateure but it's there :)_**

**_Hope you enjoy it. And for those of you who have read this far without a review...shame on you._**

_Chapter Seven_

Snape closed the closet door and set a _Colloportus_ spell on it to keep Abigail inside. Furious he whipped around on his heel and stalked back up his stairs. As soon as he was on the top stair his intruder was on the last step on the attic staircase. Snape sneered at the Death Eater, who had thought that he could just waltz into his home and disturb his holiday.

The man was about to raise his wand hand to throw a curse at Snape, when Snape did three things at once. He narrowed his eyes at the man, trying to identify who he was, but couldn't. Then he silently threw a _Reducto_ curse at his assailant, causing the man to be blasted back against the wall, which he crashed through and fell to the ground outside. But before he had even thought the curse he had calmly said, _Silencio_ to quiet the entire event so that Abigail would have no idea of what was happening.

Annoyed, he walked over to the huge hole in his wall and peered down at his yard. The intruder was groaning and trying to get up onto all fours, wand still in hand. Snape raised a brow, as the younger man looked up at him and aimed.

"_Crucio_!" the man yelled, sending a curse that would cause Snape unbearable pain if it had come into contact with him.

Snape aimed and countered boredly with, "_Salvio Hexia._" With the intruder's curse eliminated, Snape threw a _Conjunctivitus curse_ at him, causing the man to drop his wand and rub at his eyes which were surely causing him excruciating pain. Snape hexed himself to float down to the ground next to the screaming man.

He pointed his wand at the man's wand which was by his thigh and said, "_Evanesco_." Immediately the wand disappeared.

Snape stared down at the man, "I find it rather insulting for who ever you follow to send _**you**_ here to try to defeat me." He spat.

"You are a traitor, you deserve to die! The Dark Lord wasn't supposed to be defeated. It was you that allowed that to happen!" The man suddenly lunged at Snape. "The Dark Lord will live again!"

Expecting it a minute to late Snape stumbled out of the crazed man's grip and waved his wand again, "_Reducto."_ The man was blasted back.

Straightening his robes Snape walked over to the man crouched in a ball holding his stomach which had taken most of the hit. He aimed his wand at the Death Eater's skull, "Who sent you?"

"You're a fool to think that they hadn't put a tongue-tying curse on me." He man sneered and looked up into Snape's face. "We will get you eventually, Snape. We'll kill everything you hold dear."

"Lucky for you, I have no such thing." The intruder couldn't have been older that thirty, his long blond hair had been pulled back into a tong at the nape of his neck but because of being tossed around so roughly it was now all over the place. His eyes were now red and bruised, and they leaked other fluids besides tears. He looked upon Snape with such hatred. Snape had seen this look in the eyes of many when they looked upon him. He had gotten it from both sides.

People on the good side thought he was a horrible man, which he was but the other horrible people who did much worse than he, even looked at him the same way they did.

"You will die." The man said with vindication through clenched teeth. His eyes twitched and he scratched at them with both hands.

"I have no doubt that your right. I welcome the challenge." Snape said as he raised his wand another time to _Supify _the man and hexed the stiff body to _Disapparate_ to wherever Dumbledore was at the time.

_Let the old fool deal with this_, he sneered. Right now he had more pressing matters to attend, he thought as he levitated back up to his second floor, cursed the wall to repair it self and turned for the stairs to walk back down to yell at the stupid woman hiding in his closet.

* * *

Abby sat on the ground of what had to be the smallest room she had ever been stuffed in, even for a closet. She hadn't heard a sound for what felt like an hour. She wondered what the hell was going on. Was Snape in trouble? Did the intruder injure him, did he injure the intruder? Should she go out and try to find out what was happening.

Then she remembered the look in Snape's eyes as he had told her to stay here until he came back.

_But when will that be?_

Sighing she leaned her head back until it came in contact with the wall. She closed her eyes and again thought about why she had thought that he was going to kiss her earlier when he had first dragged her into this hole in the wall. Most importantly she was wondering _why she_ had wanted him to kiss her.

Suddenly the door in front of her was ripped open and towering over her was Snape. Relived, Abby jumped to her feet but at the intense look on his face she cringed. He looked so angry, at her.

She cringed again when he wrapped a tight fist around her upper arm and tugged at her to follow him through his house to the front door. She stumbled the entire way but he didn't slow down and neither of them had said a word until he had shoved her unto a coach in her living room.

He glared down at her, "What the hell were you thinking, muggle?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Ugh," she didn't really know what to say his reaction confused her. Why was he so angry with her and what had he just called her?

"Are you insane?" he prompted and she realized he actually wanted an answer.

"I-" she cleared her throat and continued, "I saw someone sneaking around your house and well, the police would have taken an hour to get here and you didn't leave me any numbers to reach you at so I thought-"

"You thought that you would just skip over to my house and save my life? What would you have done if he had been the one to sneak up behind you and not me, freeze him in his tracks with that smile of yours?"

Anger rose in Abby's chest and the force of it surprised her long enough to wonder if he had just complimented her smile, but then the rest of his reprimand had sunk in and she clenched her fists at her sides.

"You don't even know me." She argued, "I am so sorry for wanting to do the right thing and help you instead of allowing that man to kill you and you didn't even see it coming. Sorry I didn't turn a blind eye to bake some cookies, because the intruder might be hungry after slicing you to pieces!"

"I knew what was happening."

"But I didn't!" she watched as he turned on her again with a puzzled look. "I didn't know that you knew. How could I? For all I knew you could have been sleeping and had no way of knowing. I couldn't just sit here."

Snape was quiet for a moment. He looked at her face. She was looking at him with exasperation.

"You are a fool."

She didn't look exasperated any longer, anger reddened her cheeks and she straightened her back as if preparing to hit him. He wished she would.

"I can't believe that I wanted to help someone like you. You're insufferable, rude, dull and an absolute prick." She jabbed a finger in to his chest. "You think that you're so mighty, well guess what mister! You're just… just a conceited asshole!"

Snape watched her through narrowed eyes, he was about to say something rude and hurtful, something to push her away, when he felt his hand close around her wrist. He put more pressure on it and pulled her closer to him to tower over her, wanting to intimidate her. The fire in her eyes startled him but before he thought about it he opens his mouth to…to kiss her?

Abby was completely outraged as his lips closed frantically over hers. She was about to push him away when he let go of her hand to wrap around her back to pull her nearer to his body. She grabbed a fist full of his hair to pull him away but changed her mind when his lips softened against hers.

She tasted so good. It was everything that she was that he found in that kiss. Her spark, her outrageousness, her need to please and help. And he hadn't even tasted the interior of her mouth yet. Slowly he moved his lips, urging her to do the same. To his surprise she responded right away with a sigh. With the little movement she had offered him he slipped his tongue between her lips and stroked her tongue. She tasted sweet yet spicy. He rotated his head and kissed her form a different angle; he couldn't get enough of her. He nibbled on her lips when she sighed and tried to catch her breath. He didn't bother catching his own he just had to keep tasting her. What if she came to her senses and this never happened again.

Abby sighed; his tongue was working wonders, his gentle nips she felt down to her toes. She loosened her hands which were pulling at his hair, one hand trailed down to his neck and over his shoulder to rest there, the other stayed at the back of his head. She couldn't think as her body sparked into fire, she just wanted to feel this mysterious, rude, crazy man in front of her. She put everything she was into this kiss because she knew that he would soon push her away and it would probably never happen again.

Snape tried to walk Abigail to the wall to press her back against it but they ended up on the floor. Her feet had fallen over a chair and he landed on top of her.

"Are you alright?"

She stared up at him as he scrambled off of her. She pressed her fingers to her lips, they were still tingling, and she nodded.

"What was that?" she whispered, her body still humming, anticipating his touch.

His face however was devoid of any emotion, but she saw things moving in his eyes frantically. "I should leave." And before she could say or do anything to stop him he was out the door. Seconds later she heard her front door slam and she scurried to her window and watched him stalk back to his own house, his hands ripping at his hair.

_**A/N: Remember, reviews are love, and I like to be loved... love can be negative to if you so choose.**_


	9. Chapter 8

**__****__**

A/N: You might not think that there it much happening here, promise to make things more griping soon, I just have to get this in, wouldn't make much sense if this was all rushed.

_Chapter Eight_

Snape lay down on his bed and watched the shadows coming through his windows play across his ceiling. What had he been thinking?

He could still feel her lips pressed against his, hear the small sighs she made, smell her warm breath brush his face and worst of all, feel her bare thighs rub against him. Of coarse he had a long sleeved shirt and pants on, but just the idea of him not having them on and her bare thighs rubbing against his made him want to…

He turned to his side and closed his eyes, but all that did was replay everything that had transpired just ten minutes ago.

Why had she responded the way she did? Women didn't flaunt desire for him. They didn't dare want anything from him and they were wise for that. The last woman he had kissed had screeched and asked for her money. No sensible woman would want him to kiss her.

But then this woman was a muggle and she had no idea what kind of person he was. But even the muggle women he had encountered had strayed the other way, holding their purses close and trying not to make eye contact. It was his providence to be someone no one else would like.

She must be mad.

This was his last thought as he drifted to sleep with Abigail on his mind and was awoken by screams.

* * *

The next morning Snape received a letter from Dumbledore about his little visitor the night before.

From the open letter Dumbedore's voice had emerged, "Well Professor Snape, your guest…"

Snape scoffed.

"- is none other than Gabriel Malfoy. He is cousin to Lucius Malfoy, from his father's side."

"Thought as much." Snape granted.

"I have informed Lucius of the event and he had no idea about it. You did know, Severus, that some of the followers who where not brought to justice will come after you."

There was a telling pause, "The Ministry's offer still stands."

Right, like Snape would want to be escorted day after day by some macho pig-headed ministry men.

"Anyway, I have tried to gain access to his mind, to see if it was an individual attempt to get revenge for Voldemort or a collaboration. I have yet to figure it out. The spells and guards blocking his mind are one's I have never seen."

Snape's interest peeked.

"Why it's almost – no. I have an idea but - no it couldn't. Never you mind. If I find anything else I will let you know."

It was just like the old man to leave everyone around him in the dark. Dumbledore knew many things but he never let anything on, never shared his true thoughts, which were almost always correct.

Snape was about to close the letter when Dumbledore's wise voice filled the room again. "Hope your enjoying yourself, Severus." Then surfaced that chuckle that made Snape feel like Dumbledore knew exactly what he was doing.

Tossing the letter in a drawer of his nightstand Snape picked up a book to read.

* * *

Abigail awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. She scrambled out of bed to answer it. Grouchy she asked who it was.

It was Timothy Roderick from the old folk's home calling to let her know that she didn't have to come in today and since it was Friday, that he would see her on Monday.

Great.

She had been looking forward to going into the neighboring town today. To see the people she working with yes, but mostly to get her mind off of the event of last night.

As the day progressed she had caught herself many times looking out of her window trying to get a glimpse of Severus Snape. Se thought she had seen him walk across a window once and her heart had jumped. This wasn't good.

Her mind strayed to their kiss many times during that day. It didn't mean anything thought they were just caught up in a strange moment. They had both been angry and yelling at each other – well, she had yelled at him and he had told her off in his usual calm, even tone – angry people make out all the time. It boils the blood like lust would - different emotion, same effect.

Then why she was thinking about it now, she couldn't figure out. She had wanted that kiss, still wanted it.

"Ugh," annoyed she grabbed a backpack, stuffed some food and water in it and headed out into the woods with the dogs.

She didn't come back home until dusk.

* * *

Snape sat up grumpily from just waking up when the sharp knocks from downstairs grew louder and more frequent. He knew who it was, still he answered the door.

He opened the door to stare down at Abigail. Her face held confusion and frustration, and boy was she a sight. Her hair was half in a bun and half twisting its way around her face and down her back. There was mud on her shirt and pants, and leaves in her hair.

He raised a brow, "Yes?"

"This is ridiculous. We need to talk about last night."

He just stared at her.

"We need to let it out so we could stop avoiding each other and become friends."

"I have not been avoiding you, Miss Anderson."

"Well, I mean future wise. We need to talk about it, solve it and leave it behind so it won't be awkward for us…tomorrow - figuratively."

Snape was somewhat amused, "You seem to have been thinking about this for quite some time." Not her theory, he noticed, but the kiss.

She knew he was making fun of her, trying to make her feel childish. And she did feel childish. It was barely twenty-four hours later and already she had to get it off her chest because she couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe if they talked it out, she could push it aside.

"Lets go to my house." She said and turned. She didn't feel like going into his home.

"Why?"

"Your house makes me uneasy." It was true in a way, his house seemed so ominous.

Surprising himself and Abigail Snape followed her to her house.

* * *

Snape sat opposite Abigail in her sitting room. She looked so young and innocent, biting her lip and avoiding eye contact. She regretted last night. This didn't surprise him but strangely it did bother him though he didn't want it to.

"You wanted to talk?" he prompted.

Abby noticed he had set his guards back up; his face was composed and calculating once again.

"Yes, well yesterday we kissed." She said and then she paused, looking at his eyes. They narrowed.

"Indeed, it may seem so." He scowled, "It was a lapse in judgment, Miss Anderson, nothing more. I apologize."

He seemed so mordant; almost disgusted with the notion that _he_ had been kissing _her_. Annoyed, she changed the subject.

"What did the cops say?"

"What?"

"Didn't you report the burglar?" She asked him, raising a brow.

"No, I took care of it."

She was quiet for a minute. Snape looked her up and down. She was a mess, but she was pleasing to the eye. Her mind had looked made up on a response but at the last minute she had changed her mind and looked up at him.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Severus?"

Her question had caught him off guard. So he became angry. "No." he ground out as he stared at the wall behind Abigail's head.

Why was he angry? Abby wondered. He really was a strange man and yet she was still drawn to him. She couldn't describe it, part of her wished it wasn't happening but she never fought with her instincts.

"Okay, well that doesn't make last night more complicated then."

"There's nothing complicated with this matter. Last night was nothing. Why will you not let that sink into your head, you stupid little girl?" he snapped.

Abby didn't feel hurt by his rejection, she had expected it. She knew she should stop and give him some space but she didn't want to. Strangely she felt like one of those animals that have to tempt the male to get anything out of him.

Snape wondered why she was provoking him. Did she want to argue with him?

He saw the anger in her face and wondered at their behavior towards each other. When they had first met yesterday – Dear God, was it just yesterday – she had been all smiles and teasing, now she was…he hated to say it but more normal.

Snape got up and left.

Abby didn't stop him.


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

Friday night Abby had wanted to do nothing more than run back to Severus' house and patch things up. She couldn't understand why he was acting the way he was, but that didn't stop her instincts to want to become closer with him. They both lived out here alone so they might as well become friends.

But after he left and she contemplated running after him she remembered that Fred and Johnny would soon arrive at the train station.

* * *

"Miss Abby, it was so much fun. There's a lake and there's this huge blown up float and someone would sit on one end and then someone else would jump on the other end and the one that was just sitting there would be thrown into the air -" Fourteen year old Johnny was still going on the next morning.

"That's sounds like a lot of fun, Johnny." She looked around the kitchen, hurrying to put on the eggs because the bacon was soon ready. "Where's Fred?"

Johnny, who was still immature for his age scoffed dramatically, "He's on the phone with Annie."

"I hope he knows that I'm not made of money." She walked over to the stairs wiping her hands in a dishtowel and yelled up them, "Fred! Breakfast is almost ready!"

She waited for a response but was distracted at the knock on her door. Confused for a second, her face lifted and she ran for the door."

Pulling in open, her heart leapt at the sight of Severus standing there, looking rather peeved.

"Good morning."

* * *

Snape couldn't figure out his motivation as he found himself in front of Abby listening to her say she was sorry – for what he didn't even know. He just looked her up and down and frowned with amusement.

She had an apron on, her hair was up but then barely up since pieces were falling everywhere. She had flour on her cheeks and one long smear of what looked like stroking chocolate from brow to jaw. She looked busy.

"I see that you're busy -" he started.

"No! Well not really, come in, Fred and Johnny are here I must warn." She ran a hand down her side, and Snape felt all hot again. "Explains the look, huh?" then she turned back to him and gave him one of her smiles again. His heart, what he could only describe had moved.

Snape followed her into the kitchen and if he had thought Abby was a mess the teenaged boy sitting on his knees at the kitchen table was worse.

The boy looked up, "Miss Abby I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

Snape felt awkward for what seemed the first time in years, and Abigail just laughed nervously.

"Actually this is Mr. Snape, he lives next door." She turned t him, "You hungry?" She asked with a pleading look on her face.

"Alright." He would allow her this.

Just then came in another boy. "I didn't know that we were having company." he said looking Snape up and down.

Abigail introduced everyone and Snape assessed the two boys. They both had dark blonde hair, they could have been her children the way they looked so at ease around her – especially fourteen year old Johnny – Snape noted looking over their painted faces and mushed light hair. His eyes lingered on Abigail's face longer than he had thought and she mildly blushed. He looked away.

The boys, after saying their well-mannered 'How'd you do's' told Abigil, and himself everything that had transpired in the past week. They spoke at once.

Abigail looked interested and disorientated all at the same time.

Snape noticed the three dogs lying on the floor around the table. He scanned the kitchen for the wolf and found him sitting reserved at the kitchen door. Snape watched him with curiosity.

Under the blaze of Snape's suspicious eyes the wolf turned and walked from the doorway. Snape narrowed his eyes but was suddenly dragged into the conversation by little Johnny.

"Do you have many friends, Mr. Snape?" Johnny asked with interest and a childish innocence. "I have seven really good friends and ten more." He added. Then he waited for Snape's response.

Snape looked over at Abigail. At her pretty face and her caring and interesting eyes. She was watching and waiting as well.

"No," he finally said. "I don't."

Johnny looked outraged and Fred scoffed, "You haven't not a single friend?" At Snape's shake of the head, he added, "But how can that be?"

"Not that interesting." Snape said sarcastically.

The room was silent. Everyone deep in thought. Except Abigail.

"I'm your friend." She whispered.

Johnny smiled brightly, "And, what a great friend she will be to you Mr. Snape." He said nodding his agreement with his statement.

Then the boys began to talk about their upcoming activities at the camp. Abigail nodded and laughed with them but Snape just stared at her in wonder.

Snape stayed a while longer.

Fred had asked Abigail if Snape could accompany them into the neighboring city to go to an indoor pool. Abigail said it was a wonderful idea. He declined but agreed to come over for dinner. The next day he had went over for breakfast again but after being invited for a hike said that he had many things to do that day.

* * *

It was after dark, Sunday, when Abigail saw Snape again. She had dropped the boys at the train station after lunch and had gone to see her Great-aunt's lawyer again since he had called her in the morning to tell her that he had come across a letter for her.

Snape was sitting on her doorstep when she had finally arrived home.

"Hey." She said her heart racing a little.

"Hello." He got up and stood at her side as she unlocked her house. "They were charming boys." He said detachedly.

Abby agreed and once they were sitting across from each other in her living room she couldn't help herself. "Kiss me again."

Snape just stared at her, it's was all he had been thinking about all day. It was why he was sitting on her front door step for the past hour. But as it came from her lips he couldn't help but become angry at her.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I know you want to."

Snape got up and strode towards her, "No, I do not."

Abby stood to, "I think you're wrong."

Abby smiled and raised onto her toes, he stiffened but didn't pull away so she braced her hands on his arms and leaned closer.

The moment their lips touched Snape forgot why he disliked her. It wasn't quite as frantic as it was the first time but it was a desperate kiss. When her arms settled around his neck he felt his arms snaking around her back to spread and roam. He fisted a handful of her hair in one hand and stroked his other up and down her spine. She moaned into his mouth and he groaned, his body tightening.

What was he doing? He pushed her back and stalked out of her house. Abby fell onto her couch and sighed heavily.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

About ten minutes later Abby had changed into a spaghetti strap shirt and shorts and sat on her bed, when she heard her front door open again.

Her heart racing she jumped to her feet only to end up on the floor. She ran towards the stairs and as she reached the last step she saw him standing just inside the door, he was looked determined yet slightly confused. She could tell that he was still fighting with himself on what he was doing.

Before his mind could win over his body, she closed the space between them without taking her eyes from his. As she leaned into his body she gasped as he lifted her off the ground and the door slammed behind him as he made his way to the stairs.

He didn't want to wait. He had to touch her. She was already kissing him as he laid her on top of her bed and settled down on her. He ran his hand up her thighs. They were firm and smooth, most of it was bare but she still had on to many clothes. He slowly ran his hand over her shorts clad hips and lingered his fingers where they met the soft skin of her stomach.

All the while she was working at his mouth; she rolled her tongue over his, then sucked his into her mouth and nibbled on his lips. Her breath came in gasps, breathing in and out of his mouth.

Then she was running her hands over his neck, down his back and then back up chest. She felt the lean muscles that no one would know he had if they were not in her position now. He was hard and soft in just the right places.

But he was wearing too many clothes.

She started at his buttons but his hands pushed hers out of the way. He dropped quick hot sexy kisses across her jaw to her ear lob, which he swirled his tongue around and bit on gently.

Abby gasped and attempted again to get under his clothes. Again he stopped her.

"Tell me to stop." He gasped into her ear.

"I don't want you to stop."

He was frozen on top of her his body hard against her thigh yet his eyes clamped shut fighting as something in him fought against him. "We can't, we shouldn't. I can't stop though, I'm not that strong."

He said as if he were failing at something. He sounded repulsed at the notion that he couldn't control himself.

"Don't fight it." she tried to shift her head so that she could kiss him again.

"No!" he pushed away from her, off of the bed and sat on his heels staring at her as someone would star at an enemy. Then his face softened and his breathing quickened. "You're so beautiful."

She smiled. "Thank you." she reached for him and when he didn't move to stop her she crawled to his side. "You are too."

He squeezed his eyes shut as if to block her words, "No, you know nothing of the things I've done."

"Then tell me," she hugged him closer to her and he stiffened but she refused to let go.

"No."

"Well if you refuse to elaborate then my opinion stands." She leaned her head away and smiled at him. His body seemed to relax and she kissed him on the forehead. "I'll respect your wises Professor Snape, for tonight. But I want you, and I will have you."

She saw the beginnings of a smile come to his eyes but his lips rejected the attempt. His face grew hard and his mouth opened and she knew something horrid would come so she pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Don't challenge me, Severus."

"Don't threaten me Miss Anderson. I have been everyone's enemy at one point or another, and I don't take likely to being challenged. I am not someone you want to provoke."

She suppressed a smile; he looked so silly saying his little speech through her fingers, looking so serious.

"On the contrary, that is exactly what I intend to do."

* * *

Snape left Abigail's house two minutes later. She had tried to kiss him again and like a school boy he had pushed her away. He looked down at his hands; he could feel her thighs on them.

Suddenly he was overwhelmed with the feeling of being watched. He turned his head towards the forest just in time to see a figure of a man disappear.

He had no idea who it could have been; all he could tell was that the man was a wizard and that he was now sure that Abby would be in danger.

* * *

The next morning Abby sat in her kitchen eating cereal when she remembered the letter her great-aunts lawyer had given her. She ran upstairs after washing out her dish.

He had said that he had received it the day before and it was addressed to the relation of Cynthia, who was her great-aunt.

Abby opened the letter, the letter was written in an elegant handwriting that she envied.

_**Dear Abigail,**_

_**You probably have no idea who I am, but that is alright. I am a cousin and my name is Annabel Dowding. Your mother and my own were sister's but I'm sure that you have never heard of us, but we have heard of you. I'm sorry to say that the only way I could have ever gotten in touch of you would have been through our Great-aunts death. **_

_**I have a great many things to tell you, wonderful things and terribly strange things. I write with hopes that you would come and meet with me someday soon. I would have come to you but that might pose a problem. I hope to hear from you soon.**_

_**Your loving cousin,**_

_**Annabel**_

Abby was shocked. She reread the letter and looked over the address from which it had come.

She had to go to work that day but she was definitely going to meet this cousin of hers. Other than this great-aunt she had had never heard of anyone from her mother's side of the family they had never talked about them.

* * *

Abigail was relived when she had gotten the news that the old folk's home had gotten more staff. They had thanked her for all her help and she had promised many people that she would come back to visit. On her way home she had checked the train station to see if there were any departures heading towards her cousin's home up north. Luckily there was at eight-thirty. Then she asked how long away it was and was devastated to hear that it was almost a seven hour train ride.

She had had just brought her suitcase downstairs when there was a knock at her door.

It was Severus.

* * *

Snape looked down at the suitcase in her hand and at her bright face. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Actually yes. I got a letter yesterday from a cousin and decided to go see her."

"At such short notice?" he asked.

"Well, she said that she had so many things to tell me -" Snape listened as she told him she had no idea that she had family from her mothers side and what the letter had said and then told him where she was going. But his mind was on the man he had seen last night and the possible danger she could be in, and he also wondered at why she told him everything so easily.

Before he knew he was about to say it he asked, "Would it be alright if I join you?" he was outraged.

"What?" she shrieked as she dropped her suitcase on her foot and was now jumping on one leg trying to ease the pain in the other. After a second she straightened and looked at him. He was grinning.

"Wow, I've never seen you smile before." She said. It was a beautiful look on him; it lightened his features and made him look younger. But as soon as it had come it was gone.

"I am capable of it." he said and waited.

She watched his eyes which hadn't moved from hers. "Before I stupidly say that you can, why in the hell do you even want to come?"

Snape thought for a minute, "Well as I have said, I haven't left my school in over ten years, I'd love to see the country side again." he lied.

"I know your lying." He just looked at her, "But if you want to, then yes." She smiled.

* * *

Two hours later they both sat in a train compartment and stared at each other as the train started to move. Snape had quietly hexed their compartment to be avoided by everyone, muggle and wizard.

"So, tell me Severus." Abby broke the silence, "Do you have a lot of family?"

"No."

"Come on, if we are stuck in here together for the next seven hours, you might as well answer with a bit more depth."

"Fine." He said, a little annoyed, but only because of the subject. "My father had died when I was fourteen and my mother died when I was sixteen and I had no other family."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Death is inevitable."

"And other than them, you had no one else."

No family or friends.

"No. My father was an orphan and my mother's family had nothing else to do with her when she married my father."

"That's so sad."

Snape scoffed, "No, if they hadn't have hated him for his-" he thought for an alternative for muggle, "- status, they would have hated him for the demon he was."

"So your mother came from high status?" she asked.

"You can say that, yes."

"And your father…?" she didn't know how to ask.

"He was a very bad man, Abigail." He offered her.

"Oh,"

When he knew she wasn't going to ask more he asked, "What about your family?"

She still looked hurt for him and he hated that, but she shook her head and answered him.

"Well my father was a great man." she said rather nervously, as if by saying it, it would hurt him even more.

He nodded to encourage her.

"He was a lawyer and my mother a librarian. He had told her often that she didn't need to work but she had loved it. He had died when I was eighteen from cancer, but he died with a strong face even though it had eaten him alive."

Snape noted that she didn't say it with sadness; she had said it was admiration. What she told him next she said with sadness.

"My mother had always suffered from depression, that had eaten at her for many years, after my father had died it had gotten worse." She paused; her voice was a whisper as she said the last word and he knew that she had left out a big part. "She died when I was nineteen."

Because she had offered it to him he said, "I'm sorry."

She smiled a sad smile and said, "Thanks. She wasn't as strong as my father but she had her great days."

Quiet, and awkward from the exchange they sat for a while just staring outside into the dark forests which they were traveling through.

What felt like an hour later Abigail broke the silence.

"You said that you didn't have a girlfriend. Why not?"

Snape thought he would have become angry again, so did she but to their surprise he didn't.

"You might not understand because you know nothing of me, but where I come from," he paused, "I'm not the most sought after man. I have done many things that have earned people's negative thoughts towards me."

"I really want to know what you've done." She asked shyly.

"I know you do. But I can't quite tell you now."

She nodded.

He was quiet again and she smiled, "Don't you want to know if I have a boyfriend or even a husband?"

"I was just waiting for you to go ahead and tell me without me having to ask."

She laughed, "Well you forced me into it. No I don't'."

And then she was quiet.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "You force me to put more depth into my responses and that is all you would offer me?"

Her beautiful smile brightened, "Well I haven't really been looking for a boyfriend since I got here. I don't know if you've noticed but all the men in our town are either married or over the ages of seventy."

Snape thought of the man that drove him to his house just last week.

"I was dating this one guy in L.A., he kept saying we were going to get married but then he went and ruined his chances and cheated on me."

Un-required anger rose in Snape.

"Have you ever been close to getting married?"

Images rose in Snape's mind of a dream he had once wanted but he pushed them back. "No."

Abigail looked Snape up and down. He was a good looking man and it baffled her that no one had ever tried to snatch him up. She was suddenly consumed with the need to know of the bad things he had done to gain him such a bad record that no one would spare him a second glance.

To stop herself she focused on his lips – bad idea.

Snape watched Abigail's gaze heaten as she stared at his lips. He watched as she stuck out her tongue to moisten her lips and his body responded. He tried to look away but her eyes quickly raised to meet his smoldering gaze.

Abigail sucked in a breath as she saw the desire in Snape's eyes. Desire for her and she wasn't going to let him run this time.

**_A/N: Rated M, haven't yet finished next chapter, hope you guys don't get squeamish about some loving._**

**_Don't forget to ...review!! You can criticize, point something out, yell at me, praise me (pfft unlikely) J, curse me and even boss me around. I'll take it!_**


	12. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Hope your not to disappointed..._**

_Chapter Eleven_

Abby stood up and stepped over to where Severus sat, meeting her half way he grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. It was the first time he had ever met her half way without arguing about something, she was dazed.

Abby lifted her hands and placed them on either side of his face as he stared up into her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Snape pulled her closer, pressing her breasts up against his upper chest. He watched as she slowly lower her lips to his own. This kiss was different from the rest. This one was on purpose and sweet.

Snape loved the feel of her soft lips brushing against his but he was aching for some movement. Slowly he tried to urge her lips open with his own. Pressing them tightly against hers and opening his to take hers with them.

But she didn't budge, so he dragged his tongue along the seams of her lips and gently pulled on her lower lip with his teeth.

She still didn't budge but he did feel her smile against him. He groaned in frustration and she opened up for him.

Abby wanted him like this, desperate for her, a little annoyed. She sighed as their tongues danced and she felt his hands clench at her back. Her own hands had lowered to his shoulders and she needed him to start touching her.

Snape loved her taste, so sweet, so wild. Then he felt her hands lower and move from his chest to her own body and she grabbed at his arms. Curious, he allowed her to take his hands and glide them down to her hips. Then she wrapped her hands around his neck again, kissing him with more urgency and passion.

No woman he had ever been with had _wanted_ him to touch her. He felt like a school boy with his first crush. He moved his hands in little circles around her hips until he reached her ass and then squeezed her bottom. He heard and felt her grin into his mouth and he brought his hands back to her hips and raised them to her stomach.

Abby gasped as Severus' hands skimmed her stomach to close over her breasts. Pulling away from him and smiling at his disapproving stare she pulled her shirt over her head and took his hands. Her gaze never left his as he watched her bring his hands to her breasts which were only cover by a bra. Leaving his hands there she lowered her own to his thighs and leaned back offering her self up to him.

Snape ran his fingers from the top of her breasts to where the bra stopped. Then, wanting to see her he put his hands to the back to take off her opposing bra. She laughed huskily and he watched her gaze lower to the front of her bra. He looked to and noticed the clasp was in the front. This was new.

He pulled it together, which pulled her breasts together and he groaned at the sight. When he got it undone he striped the bra off her arms and stared down at her generous breasts. They were tan like the rest of her and her rosy peaks were already hard. Again he skimmed his hands from the tops of her breasts down over her nipples and watched as goose-bumps rose against her skin as she shivered.

He noticed that she was leaning back and her eyes were darker with need and he leaned forward and dragged his tongue over her right nipple. Her breathing quickened immediately and she started to grind against him.

Snape had to grit his teeth to stay in control. But as she began to pant and whisper he nearly gave in to his own desire.

"Please." She whispered and he knew he couldn't pull away, but he wasn't going to fully give her what she wanted. "Severus, _please_." Her voice pleaded and she pulled at his hair.

Groaning he lowered his hands to her jeans and opened the buttons and the sound of her zipper lowering joined her breathy sighs. He lowered them enough to give him access and pushed his hand into her panties. Abby wanted to take everything off, his and hers but lost track of the thought when Severus' fingers met her.

Snapes fingers met a little stripe of soft hair, and that was it. He was harder then he had ever been in his life but all he wanted to do was bring her pleasure. He grazed his fingers against her nub and used them to spread her. He was surprised and grew even harder as he found her wet and hot, ready.

Snape listened to Abby suck in her breath as he urged a finger deep into her core, listened to her begin to mumble as he stroked her. He looked up at her face, her eyes were closed and her mouth slightly open. She looked so sensual. Her little puffs of breath blew his hair about. And she began to bit her lip as he withdrew his hand and replaced it with two fingers, and she began to move against his hand.

She was so free and open with him, never had he asked for this, but he wasn't going to hand it back very easily. As he quickened the pace she tightened around his fingers. Using his free hand he pulled her to him and caught her moans and soft cries in his mouth as she began to shake in his arms. He kissed her with urgency first then slowly. Sighing, his fingers still inside her, Abby put her arms around him and hugged him close for a while.

A few minutes later, too soon for Snape, Abby pulled back and looked down at Snape. She could still feel him hard beneath them and she met his gaze.

Knowing what she was going to try he shook his head, "Later."

At first it looked as though she was going to protest but she must have changed her mind because she gave him a quick kiss on the lips, took his hand away from her and ran out the compartment.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean you want two rooms?" Abby asked totally livid.

The Inn clerk stared from her to Severus.

Without turning towards her Snape changed his request, "One room, two beds."

Satisfied that that was all she was going to get Abby stood quietly as the clerk got them the room keys and pointed them in the right direction.

Snape lay awake that night, listening to Abigail's soft breathing as she lay asleep barely two feet away. He wondered how much more of her he could handle without giving in and finally taking her.

* * *

The next day Abby and Snape caught a cab and sat in comfortable silence for the twenty minute drive to her cousin's house.

Once outside Abby became somewhat nervous. The house that they had pulled up to was a cozy looking cabin, encompassed by the forest, no other houses were located out here and it made her think of her great-aunt's house.

A woman who looked perhaps two years younger than Abby and had the same features except short blonde hair, stood up from a rocking chair on the little porch.

She raised a hand to cover her brow and as she saw Abby she let out, "Oh my goodness! Abigail?"

The woman ran over to them and hugged Abigail close, Abby just stared back at Severus.

"I'm so happy that you came, I didn't expect you so soon though." The woman, Annabel, was shorter than Abby but besides that and the hair length, everything else was a match.

Abby smiled down at the younger woman, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait. Annabel, right?"

"Oh yes, yes." She smiled and looked over at Snape. Her smile died.

"Ah, this is Severus Snape. He's a friend of mine. I hope its okay that I brought him along." Abby explained.

Snape lowered his head in greeting.

"Yes, well that's just fine, it's nice to meet you." she directed at him and then turned back to Abby with a bright smile. "Please come inside."

On the way inside Annabel stopped the children that were running around and introduced them. They were her own kids and she had five of them. "Hence, the reason I couldn't visit you my self." She grinned.

Inside was cramped with children's toys everywhere, but it was cozily furnished and really comfortable.

"Tea?" Annabel asked as she seated them at a large kitchen table.

"Why yes, please." Abby answered.

Annabel looked over at Snape and he answered, "Yes, thank you."

After everyone was seated with their tea and freshly baked cookies, and Annabel had yelled to the children to stay outside she had closed in on them with a serious look.

"Now, Abigail. There are so many things I would like to say to you. So many things I would like to ask and I'm sure you feel the same way."

"Yes I do. I just don't know where to start.

**_A/N: He will take her, in chapter thirteen, but don't read ahead._**

**_Important information up ahead!_**


	13. Chapter 12

**_A/N: I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. And if you think Snape is in love so far...Your crazy OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo_**

_Chapter Twelve_

They sat for about two hours talking about nothing to important. Their families, their jobs, their future goals, Annabel's children, a bit about her husband and a few other things.

"Annabel I was wondering, why is it that my mother had never mentioned any of you? It seems so strange to just hide an entire part of one's life."

Again Annabel's face turned serious, "Yes, it may seem strange."

Abby waited. Annabel looked over to Severus as if contemplating if they should continue in front of him. Abby who knew he was there the entire time wondered why she even wanted him there for this. She was about to say it was okay and that they could speak freely in front of him when her cousin continued.

"What do you think about the supernatural?"

Abby sat confused and Snape stiffened beside her. Then Abby realized that Annabel was looking at Severus but was talking to her. She looked over at Severus, he looked really tense.

She turned back to Annabel, "I'm not quit sure what you mean."

Annabel looked back at Abby with a pleading look in her eye. "I know this might make you run away from me but I don't want to beat around the bush."

Abby looked at Severus again who was staring with hatred at Annabel.

What was going on? Abby wondered. Supernatural?

"What if I told you that our family may have some supernatural aspects in it?"

Snape suddenly relaxed, but was suddenly tense again wondering where this was heading. This whole time he had thought that she would tell Abigail who he really was since he knew that she recognized him the moment they had met.

"Go on." Abby urged.

Annabel smiled subtly, "Do you believe in magic Abigail?"

"I'm open to new ideas about the world." She answered truthfully.

"What if I told you that things like werewolves and wizards and magic are real?"

"I would find it hard to believe." Abby said honestly, "But I wouldn't run away from you just because of it."

"That's very generous of you." Annabel sat back. "Just hear me out and you can judge the concept later."

"Alright."

"Our family came from a long ancient line of werewolves-"

Abby's eyes widened but she sat quiet.

"Over the centuries however, our ancestors didn't stick to mating with their own kind. Some mated with humans, or wizards or witches, or even muggles."

Muggles? She had heard that word somewhere.

"So our blood lines became less and less pure, meaning the beast wasn't that strong in us. Now our line had a special status in the magic world. We were the _Consolers_. It was one of the only gifts that had never died through our mixed breeding."

Annabel stopped to let it sink in.

"So what you're telling me is that I'm in some way a werewolf?" Abby asked incredulously.

"Well no, we can't shift, we can't yield werewolf magic and we don't really have many of the wolf's instincts. But you are, like I am, like your mother was, like Great-aunt Cynthia was – a _Consoler_."

"And what is a _Consoler_?"

"You can be born a werewolf or cursed into being one. And being a werewolf means that you have a beast inside you constantly. While in a cursed werewolf the beast only takes over the body during a full moon, a bred werewolf has the beast always right there.

Can you imagine what it must be like, having something wild inside you fighting you to take control of your body at every turn? That's why our family was so important; we keep the beast calm until the human part of the body can learn to control the beast within."

"So we are like Ritalin for hyperactive beasts?" Abby asked not trying to sound sarcastic just trying to understand what she was being told.

Understanding Annabel offered her a small smile, "You could say that." She paused then asked, "Haven't you ever noticed that animals or even people are always at ease around you? It's in our nature to comfort and put at ease those around us."

It was true. "I always thought it was my personality, no such luck." She acknowledged. "So, if what your saying could be – not that I'm saying I believe you – but if this all was true - I don't have to turn into a wolf?"

"No." Annabel chuckled.

Abby sighed in relief, "Good, I would not enjoy that."

"You're taking this so well." Annabel stated in wonder.

"Me? I'm surprised Severus hasn't called you a nut and ran out the door. I'm even curious about why you even told me in front of him." Abby looked over to Severus who sat there quietly, his expression hidden but his eyes wary.

"I'm sure he has many things to tell you as well."

Abby whirled around and shot Annabel a confused look, but she was looking straight at Severus.

"What's she talking about, Severus?"

Snape hated the situation, he wanted to tell her but telling her the truth about what he was would eventually become him having to tell her the truth about _who_ he was.

"I think I'll give you two a minute alone." Annabel said and left.

"Well?" Abby asked when he still hadn't said a word; he just sat there staring at his teacup. "Are you a damn werewolf too?"

He looked up at her and sighed, "No. I never thought that this was going to come to this." He said almost absently, mostly to himself.

"I am a wizard."

Abby looked at him, he didn't sound sarcastic; he wasn't one to joke so how could he be lying. But it was all too much and she didn't want to accept these things.

"Is this some sort of sick joke? Did you and Annabel pump heads and decide to play a prank on the new girl in England?" she knew she sounded crazy but anything was saner than what they were telling her.

Snape sighed and pulled out his wand.

Abby laughed hysterically. "Oh my, is that a wand? Are you going to wave it around and hex me into a toad?" she laughed.

Snape frowned at her, "Would you like to see some magic Abigail?"

"Why of coarse Severus, I thought you'd never ask."

His face as still as stone he said, "Lets start with the basics." He did a dramatic flick of his wand and said, "_Orchideous_." A bouquet of flowers appeared out of his wand.

He threw them to her and she stared at him, "Nice trick."

"Not convinced?" he pointed his wand at a plate on the counter, "_Locomotor-plate_." It rose into the air and hovered from side to side before lowering back to the counter.

Snape watched Abby think, he could see that her mind was fighting her eyes.

"Trick of the eyes."

Annoyed at her, at Annabel, at everything Snape continued, "Alright then, how about something else?"

He aimed his wand at a glass statue a few feet from them and calmly said, "_Confringo_." It exploded into pieces. "But that's not enough. _Reparo_."

Abby watched as the statue exploded when nothing had touched it, then she watched as it slowly put itself back together bit by bit. Her heart racing she had had enough.

But Snape didn't stop there.

"How did you enjoy your cookies, Abigail?" he pointed his wand at them, "_Geminio_." A duplicate of the stack of cookies appeared. He kept saying it until the table was overflowing with cookies.

"Please." Abby whispered in distress.

Snape didn't hear her; he blew up more items around the room and made them repair themselves.

He was scaring her. He looked deranged, completely mad and she knew he wanted her scared, that's what scared her the most. His hair was covering most his face, his eyes wide and crazed. "Please, Severus, please stop."

The sound of her voice, the way it cracked as she said stop stilled his advances. He looked up at her; she looked like she had seen a ghost. The worst part was that she looked scared and defeated and even lost and he had caused this.

He issued one last spell, "_Evanesco_." Everything he had duplicated vanished. He hadn't even realized he had made a duplicate of everything in the kitchen.

If he were someone else he would apologize, he would hug her close and say that not everything she had found out today was bad, that she was going to be okay and that if she wanted he would just go home. But he was Severus Snape.

So instead he got up and walked out the door.

* * *

"She didn't take it to well, did she?" Annabel's voice came from behind him. Snape turned and stared down at her.

Before he could stop himself he said, "I scared her."

Annabel just stared up at him, "She needs to know about our world. I'm sure she'll get over it in time."

"Our world? I was under the impression that werewolves were on the edge of extinction."

Annabel laughed, "Well you're completely wrong. But we'll talk about that another time. What I would like to know is what you are doing with my cousin?"

Anger and defense rose in Snape, but before he retorted she added, "I don't mean that offensively Mr. Snape. I have heard many things about you, many bad things, and horrible things even. But then I have also heard honorable things and things of greatness."

Snape stood tense before her and she continued, "I will not judge you on anything I have heard but I will say that whatever it is you want from Abigail, I hope it's nothing horrible."

Snape was about to say something, whether it was going to be something nice or cruel he would never know because at that moment Abigail stormed out of the house and didn't stop storming until she was right in front of him.

He was stunned at her expression, she was royally pissed. Fuming even.

"We need to leave, now." She said through clenched teeth and if Snape wasn't so tense by her attitude he would have shivered.

Abby turned to Annabel and her expression softened somewhat, "I'm sorry for my poor behavior, I hope you understand that this is way too much to handle in one day. Would it be okay if we came back tomorrow?"

Annabel nodded sympathetically, "Any time would be fine."

* * *

Snape tried to make eye contact with Abigail on the drive back to the Inn, but she had her gaze settled outside. Her face was expressionless but he knew that her mind was working up a storm. He wondered what he should say to her, if he should say anything at all.

She probably hated him, wanted to never see him again, and in some ways that would make his life easier but he didn't want her to condemn him and that fact really pissed him off. He wasn't someone that wanted to be accepted, he didn't need it, and he didn't need anyone, including her.

When they reached the Inn Abby headed straight for the bathroom. Snape sat on his bed and listened as she drew a bath and listened as she got in and all he could think about was her being naked right now, barely feet away from him. He tried to fight down the images.

* * *

Abby sat in the tub until the water grew cold. Sighing she dried off and wondered if she should refill the bathtub and start all over.

Magic? Werewolves? Wizards? What next unicorns, flying pigs, Chewbacca? She shuddered to think about the possibilities. Everything Severus had showed her in Annabel's kitchen made everything they had said hard to deny.

Was it such a bad thing to have magic in the world? No, she decided. She was scared earlier because he had thrown the evidence too hard at her when she wasn't even ready, and for that he was a prick. But then how else would she have come to believe it?

Abby sighed again, she didn't want to but already she wasn't mad at Severus anymore. Her ability to stop hating him so quick was really starting to piss her off.

She headed for the door.

**_A/N: Don't you just love the way they hate how they react to eachother? Its how you feel when you fall for something your not meant to fall for._**

**_Up next...o I don't know. More confessions?_**


	14. Chapter 13

**_A/N: I forgot to meantion in the last chapter that - these two chapters are a bit way long, but i'm leaving tomoro for a shopping spreweek and won't be able to upload a chpater for a bit. Sorry - that is if i should be sorry, how am i to now that you even still want me to upload with so few reviews? but thanks to those that do review, your awesome!_**

_Chapter Thirteen_

Snape's heart leapt as he heard the bathroom door open. Abigail came out wearing nothing but a robe. _Great_, he thought, _just great_.

"I forgive you." she said to him.

"What?"

"I forgive you for scaring me earlier."

"What makes you think that -"

"Just stop with the tough talk, Severus." She cut in.

Snape sat shocked; he didn't know what to say. She sat down on her bed and faced him. They stared at each other for a while.

"So you practice witchcraft." She finally asked.

Sighing in relief that she wasn't just going to kick him out he said, "It's not what you think it is though. We aren't a cult and we don't sacrifice animals for our gifts. Like the werewolves we're born into Wizardry."

"But how can that be?" she asked pleading to understand.

"Think of it as just another culture or even just another race, because technically we are. Not so much as a different race because of how we look but because of our capabilities. We live in an entirely different world than you muggles do."

Light shinned in her eyes, making them a lighter blue, "You called me that before."

Remembering he shrugged and said, "Minor slip."

"When you say different world-?" she prompted.

"Not anther planet, it's just a hidden world on this one, hidden by magic because there are too many differences for us to live together, in one, right now."

"But you live right next door to me." She said in wonder.

"Well yes, those of us who chose to live out in the open magically hide everything about ourselves. You might have met many wizards and witches in your life and would have never known. But the reason I live where I do is because my father was a muggle."

"And your mother was a witch?"

"Yes." He nodded.

"But wouldn't that make you a half breed; doesn't that decrease your capabilities?"

She was showing true interest in his world and no judgment at all, he even found it easy to talk to her about this.

"Well no. Even if just one of your parents were a wizard or a witch you would still become one yourself, it's very rare that someone with wizardry relatives does not become one themselves. Even children with two muggles parents and all their relatives were muggles, if they were meant to be a wizard they just are."

"I don't know if I understand everything you just told me but it's really -" she thought of an appropriate word, "Bizarre."

Snape spent the next few hours telling her about his world and answering her questions. She had many.

She asked if they had anything like her government and he told her about the Ministry of Magic. She asked if they were just few in numbers and he told her that they weren't, that there was no reliable amount and that they lived on every continent. She also asked a few questions about werewolves – he answered what he could but told her he didn't know that much about them. Then she asked about the schools and he spent a lot of time telling her about how it works, since it was his forte.

When she had run out of questions about his world and he had run out of answers she stared down at her hands which she held together in her lap.

"I know you might not trust me with this but, I want to know what you did."

Snape sighed; he knew this would come eventually but he was dreading it.

"I-" he didn't know where to begin. He didn't even know why he was about to tell her.

"If you don't tell me, I will understand." She said shyly and she looked up at him. He had held her gaze the entire time they had talked but now he was staring across the room.

"When I was still in school, I was much like I am today." He didn't specify but she thought she knew what he meant. "I hadn't had many friends, my parents had died and the friends I did have, weren't the kind that one should settle for. In our world, at the time evil had risen. You will never understand the extent to the word evil in our world, -" he looked up at her, locked his eyes with hers and said, "I will show you one day what I'm talking about, but today your not ready."

Abby nodded because he was still staring at her waiting for her to comply that she understood. He looked back at the wall.

"This evil came in the form on a man, he called him self Lord Voldemort and he was one of the most skilled wizards in our world. He wanted to rule it, cast out the dirty blood and take over everything. His followers were marked and called Death Eaters. They did everything he said and they believed him their God. Before I even graduated I joined him, all of my friends did."

Abby tried to sit quietly but she just wanted to say, do something. Her heart was racing, she didn't even know why.

"I thought that joining him was what I was meant to do, take vengeance on all those who had ridiculed me in the past, take vengeance against the world. Show them that I was worth something, that I was powerful. I hated everyone, and that I had in common with the rest of the Death Eaters. I thought I wanted the world to bow at our feet and praise us. But after one incident-" he stuttered, "that I had caused I realized the truth about me and everything I stood for."

He was quiet for a while and Abby was itching to ask what it was he had caused, but for him to not want to tell her it must have been horrible and she wondered if she really wanted to know. He was skipping pieces here and there and she could tell that he had never told anyone this before.

"I realized that I was nothing more than a coward, wanting people to fear me and they did. They did fear me. I deserved their scorn and in a feeble attempt to make the situation right again, and to make my life worth something, I became a spy for the side of good in our world. I stayed with Voldemort, relayed his plans and did his biddings until the day he was defeated, just last year."

He looked over at her with hatred in his eyes, "You will never know of the horrors I have committed and out of courtesy to you I will never tell you. I shouldn't even have told you this, I'm even thinking about removing it from your mind."

"No!" she said desperately, in a way she felt closer to the man sitting in front of her so at odds with everything around him.

"You're to trusting, Abigail. I could still be that evil person I was when I had first joined evil." He lowered his eyes, "I probably still am."

"No, Severus. You-"

"Shut up!" he whipped around glaring at her and she winched. "You know nothing about me. You don't know anything! What if I told you that I have killed many people, innocent people?"

"I-"

"What, you wouldn't believe me? Well believe it stupid girl. I have stood by and watched families get torn apart, slaughtered and did nothing about it. I didn't even feel anything, no sympathy, made no move to help them. Now you tell me that I'm not a monster!"

Abigail couldn't answer him, couldn't form words through the clog in her throat. She also couldn't stop the tear that escaped.

"See, you can't deny it." his haunted gaze followed that tear down to her chin, "I have watched the strongest of wizards be reduced to tears as they watched their families, their children be tortured before them. _I_ have tortured so many. _I_ have ruined those families. _I_ did those things. I am a murderer – of life, innocence, trust and love." He whispered.

Abby wanted him to stop; she wanted to tell him that that's not who he was anymore, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything, just listened as he went on.

She watched as he pulled up his sleeve showing her a dark tattoo of a skull and snake.

"It's my mark, my brand to show what I really am - a dark follower, a Death Eater. Scum." He spat. "I was supposed to die with him. I was promised peace." He had said it so fast and so softly she had barely heard it.

She watched him closely, she believed he did many horrible things but she didn't think he deserved to do this to himself. She got up and walked over to him. He wasn't that man anymore.

Snape looked up to see Abby standing next to him, he had expected a slap, a threat, for her to condemn him, it was what he wanted, what he deserved – what he could handle but what he couldn't handle was when she put her arms around him and hugged him close – he didn't deserve it, it made him sick.

"You're not a monster, Severus. You might have been but you aren't' now." She whispered to him.

He tried to pull away from her but she wouldn't let him.

"You're a foolish woman." he said against her neck and allowed her to hold him closer.

They sat like that for a while, just holding onto each other and breathing. After a bit he felt her go limp against him and he knew that she had fallen asleep, still she wouldn't relinquish her hold on him. Sighing he laid them both down, conjured a blanket over them and fell asleep in her warm embrace and in wonder at the gift he had been cursed with.

* * *

The next morning, Snape awoke to the feel of Abigail's soft hands touching his stomach and chest.

"What are you doing?" he asked about to push her away.

Abby closed her hand over the hem of his shirt and pulled it up to his chest. She took in a sharp breath at the multitude of ridiculously long scars she found crisscrossing all over his chest and stomach. She traced her fingers over them.

"Who did this to you?" she asked, suddenly angry.

Snape looked up at her, her robe had fallen slightly open and he caught a glimpse of her breasts. He swallowed hard.

"Punishment." She looked down at him confused so he continued, "For not following the Dark Lord's orders to perfection. Also to test loyalty and scare out the traitors." He said it coolly, as if his beatings were mandatory.

"So he beat you?"

"With magic." Her fingers running over his skin was making him hard. He hadn't noticed till then that she had a leg thrown over his thighs and that view of her exposed breast were driving him crazy.

Snape said a small spell under his breath and put a hand around to the nape of her neck.

Abby tasted a slight minty taste on her tongue and whipped a hand to her mouth, "Did you just -?"

"Yes," he said as he pulled her mouth down to his and kissed her thoroughly.

Abby's blood boiled immediately. Not breaking the kiss she slid onto his lap and started to open the buttons of his shirt.

Snape was already tugging at the rob trying to untie the knot she had holding it together at the waist. Finally untying it he threw it across the room and broke the kiss to stare down at her. She was gloriously naked, sitting on top of his still covered body and he couldn't handle it any longer.

Abby was shocked when Severus threw her back onto her side of the bed and sat up to work his way hastily out of his shirt and pants. When he had only his black boxer-briefs left on and he made a grab for her she said, "The socks to." Wanting him fully naked.

She suddenly realized that she was nervous. But when he looked at her again and she saw the desire in his eyes, she smiled and allowed him to pull her over to him.

Snape kissed her tenderly; he had never wanted any woman more than he wanted her know. The truth of that made him want to make it last, but his body wanted the exact opposite. She laughed as he pushed her forcefully against the mattress and opened her thighs with his knees to accommodate him. Bracing himself on his arms he looked down at her body. At her generous breasts, her small waist and smooth stomach, at her long legs and her little stripe of intriguing hair.

He looked back up at her face; she was nibbling on her lower lip, that plump sweet pink lip, as she stared up at him waiting for him to make the next move - wanting him to make a next move.

Abby watched as Severus looked down at her in wonder. Watched as he lowered his mouth to her breast and pleasure sizzled through her as his mouth closed over her. She arched her back and moaned out his name.

Snape let go of her nipple and kissed hot sexy wet kisses down her chest and over her stomach when he noticed the silver hoop ring in her navel. He never much cared for body piercing but this turned him on. He licked it and then swirled his tongued around her navel. He could feel Abby's stomach muscles clench beneath him. Then he felt her hands in his hair, pulling gently at it. He went a bit lower but before he reached where he wanted to go her hands tightened in his hair and he looked up at her.

"You better be inside of me in the next two minutes." She ordered, not going to let him cheat her out of want she wanted again.

Snape smiled up at her, and lowered his head between her thighs. Her breathing became more ragged as he pressed a kiss against her inner thigh and slowly dragged his lips over to her tight nub. He dragged a long lick against her throbbing folds and smiled as Abby's feet started to slide against his sides and back. He wanted her like this - wanton and needy.

He heard her sigh as he licked her again and again, but suddenly she was on the brink and her hands tightened in his hair.

"Enough." She said her voice breathy and completely sexy.

But he didn't want her ordering him around so he took a few more licks until she was slightly trashing in his arms.

"Please, Severus, please."

Only when she begged did he comply. He slowly rose back up to kissed her- lying on top of her with her breasts pressed tight against his chest. He was delighted when Abby raised her legs and tried to pull his pants down with them. It opened her more to him and she could feel that he was as ready as she was.

For one moment is mind fought him, and images came to life in his mind - mages of things he didn't want to think about, images that taunted him. I_ can't fight it this time_, he offered the excuse and pushed all his thoughts away.

Pulling back he got rid of his underwear and laid back onto her - his erection no secret against her thigh. Abby moved her hips, desperate for completion.

He chuckled down at her. He began to kiss her again as he pressed the head of his erection against her tight wet core. Slowly he inched his way in. He had to pause his kiss to grit his teeth as he fought to control his slow pace when his body just wanted to go wild.

Abby shook her head from side to side, wondering why he was going so slowly. "Faster."

Snape stopped and looked down at her pretty face, "As you wish." With that he pushed all the way into her and shivered at the pleasure that went through him to finally be inside her.

He began to move as she ground her hips against his - his pace slowly going faster and deeper. She then wrapped her long sexy, smooth legs around his waist to better hold onto him. Abby's arms grabbed into his back as her breathing became labored and their body's met time after time.

He loved the feel of her wrapped tightly around him. Loved the way she responded to every way he touched her. He loved the way she moaned and whispered his name when she begged him for more. Always more. Until they couldn't take the pleasure any longer and came apart in each others arms.


	15. Chapter 14

**_A/N: Hi, i havn't uploaded in a while, sorry...if anyone is even still reading. More to come. :)_**

_Chapter Fourteen_

Abby lay there next to Snape, her breathing rough and rapid, same as his. She smiled and placed her hand on top of his which lay flat against her stomach. She felt sated and complete and just – ready for round two.

A few minutes later…

Abby sat there on the bed watching Severus storm off into the bathroom. He had suddenly stiffened, jerked his hand away from her skin and left.

Never had she felt more awkward, she thought as she fell back against the sheets. Not even when she had walked in on her boyfriend and his best friend, who thankfully was a woman.

She took a deep breath and realized Severus' scent was all she smelt. It will never leave her and she knew this deep down. He might think what they had just done was a mistake but she didn't.

Scratching her palm she got up.

* * *

Snape looked at himself in the mirror and wondered what Abigail saw when she looked at him. What he saw was a murderer, an evil being and a coward. What is it she could possibly see in him?

What happened between them was a mistake. It will never happen again, he will stay with her for the duration of this trip but as soon as they get back to their homes he was Dissapparating back to Hogwarts.

He heard the door knob click and turned to watch Abigail saunter into the bathroom naked. His eyes, of their own accord strayed to the sway of her hips and the caramel cream of her skin. Without so much as looking at him she stepped into the shower and turned on the facet.

This shower was generously made with a glass sliding door allowing him full view of her torturous body as water cascaded down her breasts and back. She had her face raised into the spray of water and her long blond hair was now slick against her back, arms and chest.

Abby could feel Severus' hot gaze on her skin and turned to see him take a deep gulp, his eyes swiftly rising to her own. She smiled at him and he turned to the mirror and looked at himself. Feeling childish, Abby drew on the glass door which was now frosted because of the steam.

Snape raised his gaze as he heard the distinct rubbery sound of wet skin rubbing against glass. Abby had drawn a smiley face on the door and had an enticing breast pressed up against the glass. He was close to joining her, so close - but the shrill sound of the room's phone filled the room.

He could have sworn he heard Abigail sigh as he headed into the adjacent room.

"Yes?" he barked as he lifted the receiver to his face. He still couldn't understand why some wizards found muggle forms of communication rather fascinating.

"Severus Snape?" came a feminine whisper from the other end of the line.

Not sure who it was he asked, "Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Annabel. Look, I can't talk long. Don't come back to see me today, I will not be at my home. Take Abigail and head back to your home, it isn't safe right now. There are terrible conspiracies being formed." There came a sharp intake of breath, a child's cry and a few muttered words from the background.

Snape was about to ask what was going on when she continued, "It isn't safe for us, right now, especially Abigail. I will find the both of you when I can, just promise to take care of my cousin."

"What- " Snape began but she cut in again more hurried this time.

"Please, I hadn't known but she has been chosen to-"

But the line went dead.

Snape stood there befuddled. It wasn't safe? What conspiracy? What was Abigail chosen for?

All Snape could tell was that it didn't sound good. None of it did. He was contemplating heading over to Annabel's home anyway just to check what was going on.

* * *

Snape had just relayed what Annabel had told him to Abigail and was watching her intently. At first she looked like she didn't believe him, she just gaped at him and shook her head. But she must have changed her mind when she asked if they should just go and check up on Annabel and her family.

"I believe that they are already far away by now." He told her.

She was silent for a while, "What do you think is going on here?"

"I can't really say. I hadn't even known werewolves were still plentiful. They were believed to be near extinction a couple of years back but apparently they have just been in hiding." He looked over at her, she looked worried.

Seeing that she needed to be comforted Snape cleared his throat awkwardly, "I'm sure she and her family know how to protect themselves if the situation becomes dangerous."

She smiled but didn't look at him, "Oh, I know. It just feels weird knowing they could be in danger and here I am heading back home like nothing is wrong."

"I'm sure her husband can manage himself and she said that she'll find us when everything is right again."

"Alright." Abigail said, but Snape could see that she still felt sick about leaving so soon. "But what could I have to do with any of this?" she whispered to herself, and Snape pretended to not have heard.

* * *

Two weeks had passed and Abigail was starting to feel as if the entire rendezvous hadn't been real.

As soon as they had arrived Snape had locked himself into his home for a couple of hours to 'talk' to a few people. How? Abigail didn't know, because he didn't own a phone or a computer, so he must be using magic to connect with everyone.

_Why not?_ She thought. He could do everything else imaginable with magic.

She enjoyed their days but after awhile Severus was really starting to get on her nerves, after Dumbledore, who he spoke fondly yet with annoyance of, didn't respond back to him, he refused to stop stalking her. She liked spending time with him but he was becoming very anal, he wasn't _spending_ time with her he was _protecting_ her, and what annoyed the hell out of her most was that he never gave up the opportunity to point this out. He insisted on sleeping on her couch, which also didn't bother her but he acted as if they had never slept together – he was even trying to stop talking to her. He was acting like a strict bodyguard more than anything else towards her now.

"What are you doing out there?" Abby yelled through her window down at Severus who was stalking back and forth in her garden.

He looked up, met her eye and then looked back at the scenery. He was driving her mad.

* * *

Snape sighed and continued walking around in circles looking at and for nothing in particular. He had been ignoring Abigail as best as he could even if sleeping in the same house as she was. But she wasn't one you could ignore very easily.

He could tell that she was getting mad at him for acting as he was, but better mad than alternatives.

Dumbledore still hadn't gotten back to him as yet and this was annoying Snape. He had conveyed everything that he had learnt to Dumbledore the moment they had arrived but Dumbledore hadn't said much in the meeting. He had just nodded and listened intently, then murmured something about meeting with an old friend, but not having any idea how to reach this person.

Snape heard Abigail let out an unpleasant frustrated sound as she slammed her window shut. He smiled, she was trying harder then ever to get his attention, he couldn't even imagine what she thought his problem was.

He looked up at the thunder clouds forming and rumbling over the trees of the forest on every side of him.

This past weekend had been hectic, it was Fred and Johnny's last time staying with Abby since their mother was coming back and like the weekend before that, he had had to stay in his own home. He had been up all throughout the night watching her premises for intruders, whether wizard or werewolf. Sometimes he would sit on her windowsill and just stare at her through the glass.

He knew that if he had asked her if he could stay, she would have let him. He knew that if he had entered her room she would have welcomed him. He knew that every time he left her standing at her front door she wanted to ask him to stay.

These were the exact reasons why he stayed away – well as far as him protecting her would allow him.

She didn't know him; she was naive to think that he was worth anything. Perhaps she was just grateful that he was watching over her.

"Will you stop sneaking around my yard and come inside! I don't need protecting, you ghoul, I need a friend!"

Snape sighed as he watched Abby walk across the fresh green grass towards him with a scowl on her face - so much for making excuses for her.


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: Hey, obviously school's back on so updates have been slow. i'm almost done one the next chapter so it's shouldn't take to long to upload. And i don't own anything HP.**

**I hope people are still reading. :)**

_Chapter Fifteen_

"You want to go for a walk?"

Abby watched Severus' expression turn grim as he looked down at her. "Oh come on," she persisted.

"There's a storm coming." He pointed out.

"Just a quick walk, I want to show you something."

"If you insist." He said glumly.

Abby sighed, he had returned back to three words to one sentence answers. He was trying very hard to get as little interaction with her as possible.

She started in the direction of the woods, thinking to show him her favorite spot of the forest she had hiked many times since she had moved here. She loved the forest, the sound, the smells, the animals and the feeling of being free and alive.

There were so many untold, never to be known stories here - mysteries and romances, tragedies and horrors.

She looked up at Severus, wanting to ask him so many questions, wanting to know so many things. But then she remembered everything she did know of him, of the things he had told her the night she had first learnt that he was a Wizard. What he had told her was horrible, but she didn't think any less of him, it just made her want to know everything so that she could help him through it. She was certain that he would deny it but he was still suffering, and maybe it's because he thought he didn't deserve to ever stop.

"Have you any idea where we are heading?" she heard him ask haughtily and realized she had been walking around aimlessly. She looked around, and when she was sure of where they were she switched directions.

"What scared, Professor Snape?" she taunted with a smile.

He scoffed and looked ahead of them.

"Did you bring your wand?" She knew she sounded derisive, but she couldn't help it. A _wand_? It was still too much to take in all at once. It was still just a polished stick to her, one that had fallen off a tree - one that allowed for magic to be created.

He seemed to understand as he said calmly, "Yes, I have."

"Could I ever wield magic with one, do you think?" she asked, sort of awkwardly.

He seemed to have been thinking it over then said, "I am not sure. Our wizarding schools usually always contact magic yielders to attend at the age of eleven, so perhaps not the same magic as I can create and not any with a wand. However, that doesn't mean you can't yield werewolf magic like Annabel said, they are an entire different race when born into it, so perhaps."

"Oh," she said, and looked around at the forest ahead of them. In the distance she saw the two unique trees which signified that they where almost there. What made these trees so different from the rest was the way they grew from the same spot in the ground and their trunks intertwined about eight feet in the air creating a hole that someone could walk through between them.

"Almost there." She told Severus.

* * *

As soon as she had said it Snape felt her soft fingers intertwine with his own rough ones. His body stiffened and his fingers were ramrod stiff as Abigail's curled through them.

Little children held hands like this, with friends or parents. Lovers held hands like this.

He had never held hands like this – with anyone.

Then he remembered what she had said and looked around. He saw the tree's that connected and formed a circle between the trunks a short distance away. He knew that just beyond that tree and behind the tall bushes was a small water fall which ran into a small spring. He could already hear the water splashing. He remembered coming here as a child, trying to get away from the bitter air, the soft cries and cruel voices of his home. He had come to escape reality, to be alone and talk with things that actually listened. He had always come alone; this was his place to be left alone.

* * *

Abby's heart leapt as Severus' fingers finally softened around her hand as they drew nearer to her destination. She looked up and saw that his eyes were focused ahead of them; they also looked sort of haunted.

As they cleared the bushes and entered the small clearing exposing the little waterfall and stream to them she pulled him over to a small patch of grass and sat down, still holding his hand.

A moment later Severus joined her on the ground, close but not touching her, their hands lying on the ground between them.

"I love it here, it's so peaceful and beautiful." She sighed looking around. Even with the dark clouds above them it was a beautiful sight.

"I used to come here as a child." Severus said after a while.

She looked up at him; his eyes were on the stream. She smiled; glad that he could actually say something which wasn't a question or in answer to a question. But even more glad that even when they hadn't had met they had secretly shared this place.

"What were you like?" she asked.

"I have already told you."

"No," she paused and looked back up at him, "You just said that in school you were a snobby, quiet kid with no friends. I meant when you where a little boy, what were you like?"

He looked down at her through a scowl.

"Well you did say that." She pointed out.

"I was not snobby. I just happened to like being by myself, which allowed me to focus on my studies and magic. Pardon me if I though that attending school meant excelling in my academics and not in the social networks."

"Okay, okay." Abby threw up her free hand in surrender. "So," she prompted.

Severus sighed and continued, "I don't know. I was probably always how I always will be." He looked down at her, annoyed. "And I refuse to talk to you about something that isn't your business."

She looked up into his smoldering dark eyes. He looked thoroughly livid and she could tell that he might never want to give in and open up to her. She sighed and took her hand out of his.

He turned his head and looked back over at the stream.

* * *

Snape was annoyed at himself. He knew that it hurt her to treat her this way but he didn't know of any other way to treat her. Cursing himself in the silence that had fallen over them he tried to figure out how he could be nicer to her.

He felt her shift next to him.

"Can I see you're wand?"

"You don't shut up, do you?" he snapped, turning his head towards her. But he put his hand into his black pants and pulled it out, glad that she was exactly how she was. Gingerly he placed it in her hands.

Snape watched her hold it in both hands, then she raised it closer to her eyes and ran her fingers over it.

"Is it just a stick?"

Snape snorted, "'Just a stick' she asks." He shook his head, suppressing a smile, "Its eleven inches oak, with a core of unicorn hair. It was created in dragon's breath, which is why it is black in color."

"Oh," She said and he could see her brain mulling over the new information. He had noticed how her eyes had slightly widened when he had said unicorn and then widen even more as he had said dragon.

"Did you have to choose it?" she asked.

"The wand always chooses the Wizard or Witch." He told her.

"Interesting," she looked from him to the wand in her hands, "Could you do magic without the wand?"

"I can, yes. Not much without full concentration, you see the wand channels the magic, in a sense it sends magic where it needs to go. Only the most powerful of Wizards can work without a wand."

"Could you do _anything_, with it? Are there no rules?" she asked, once again just looking at the wand.

"Well the Ministry of Magic does have rules yes. For instance there are a number of 'Unforgivable curses' which by law you are not allowed to use."

And he told her of the three.

* * *

Abby's brain was racked. She had asked so many questions and surprisingly he had answered all of them. She couldn't believe that you could force someone to do something against their will, or even kill someone by just sticking a stick – wand - at them and saying a few weird words. It was horrible how easy it made doing horrible things to be done.

They sat quietly for the past few minutes when Severus abruptly sat up straight.

"It's getting really dark now. It will rain in any minute. Hopefully we can make it back before it starts."

Abby looked up at the sky, it was hidden by black churning clouds.

Snape grabbed her hand and they started jogging back through the forest. He slowed them down whenever there was a fallen tree in their way and helped her over it. They could almost see the edge of the forest which opened to the clearing behind their houses when it started drizzling.

"Maybe we can make it before it starts to pour." Abby panted at Severus' side.

As soon as she had said this there was a rumble of thunder that started in the distance and became louder as it came towards them. Suddenly there was a flash of lightening and the heavens opened to let down a hell of a blizzard of rain.

The ground was getting softer and harder to navigate through and Snape could hear Abby laughing next to him. He looked down at her, which turned out to be a big mistake.

**_AN: Please R & R_**

**_Reviews are inspiration._**


	17. Chapter 16

**_AN: Thanks to 'Connor' for that lovely review. when i read it, i think my head swelled a size and i finished this chapter...see folks, reviews ARE inspiration._**

_Chapter Sixteen_

Snape fell face first into the mud and took Abby down with him. Slowly raising his head from the muck he rolled over to see if she was okay.

Still holding his hand she was already laying with her face catching the rain and looking at him laughing her head off.

Snape didn't know whether it was the sound of her heart talking, or the beautiful expression of happiness on her face or if it was the entire situation, but he could not help himself as laughter started to simmer out of him.

At the sound of Severus laughing Abby's smile became more bright and beautiful. They lay there for probably a few minutes just laughing and looking up at the sky when the laughing had to slowly stop because they had to catch their breath. Still smiling Abby looked over at Snape but he wasn't smiling any longer. The scorching look he gave her stopped the bubbles of laughter completely and started a sweet pain in her chest and a sharp throb between her legs.

Snape watched the laughter die in Abby's eyes, replaced by something more sensuous, something hotter, more urgent. He reached out with his other hand and grabbed her by the nape of her neck, pulling.

He heard the soft beginnings of his name leave her lips as he crushed his lips to hers. She didn't tease him this time, but latched onto him as if she wanted him this second just as he wanted her. Her arms slide smoothly up his chest and around his shoulders to lock behind his neck, and as he sat up she wrapped her legs around his waist so that she was sitting in his lap.

Snape couldn't breathe and didn't want to as Abby's tongue slid along his. He ran his hands down from her neck, over her soaked back and passed her hips to grab onto her butt and pressed her closer against him. She tasted so sweet, and wild, so addicting. With the rain still pouring down on them their skin slid against each other and Snape ran his tongue along her slick cheek.

Abby planted little kisses against Severus' wet face as he moved and then ran her tongue along the rim of his ears. He groaned into her ear. His breathing, although already raged, hitched as she pulled on his earlobe with her teeth. "Touch me."

Snape grinned against her ear, he was touching her, but in this state her wish was his command. He pulled away from her to look down at her face. Her eyes were slightly closed, her lips slightly open, she was so beautiful. Her chest was rising and falling fast, her soft pant a sweet seduction. He could see her hard nipples through the wet shirt, which was plastered onto her like a second skin. Had she not been wearing anything underneath it this entire time? Her hair fell in masses of wet curls over her shoulders, arms and even him. Had he removed her clip earlier?

He slowly lifted his hands to the hem of her shirt and lifted it enough to expose the evidence that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. She lifted her arms as he slipped the opposing shirt from her body, which was proving to be harder than usual since it was stuck to her skin. He gave a short laugh as he noticed that his wand was in her clenched hand this entire time. He removed it with her shirt.

As he slowly grazed his hands up her stomach to her breasts he leant back in to catch onto her lips again, exploring her mouth all over again.

Abby could feel Severus pressing hard against her through their clothes and she pulled away to whisper in his ear, "While this is extremely pleasurable, I wanted you to touch me," she paused for emphasis, "else where." Then she started grinding her buttocks against him suggestively.

Snape body caught fire and hardened even more. It felt so good what she was doing to him, he was about to lose control. He pulled away from her and she smiled at him, but suddenly he realized where they were. It was dark, the rain was still coming down in sheets, and thunder and lightening were erupting over them.

Abby's heart fell as she watched Severus glance around and he moved to pull her off of him.

"We need to get back to the house." He had them up on their feet in a second and she tried to pull him back to her but he bent to pick up something and started pulling her towards the clearing.

"But," she started but just then lightening struck a fallen tree just a few feet away from them. Allowing Severus to drag her behind him she took her shirt out of his hand, which also held his wand, and held it in front of her exposed chest - even though it was unlikely that anyone would see her.

As they reached her back door it opened without them touching it and Severus pushed her inside. He was still pushing her through a few rooms and she wondered if he was still in the mood when he pushed her backwards into her sofa. She was getting it all wet and muddy but didn't care when Severus settled himself above her and started kissing her again, pushing her shirt out of her hands.

* * *

Snape had successfully gotten out of her pants and was reaching into her panties when he stiffened, the feeling of being watched overwhelming his senses.

Abby raised her thighs off the sofa in anticipation and ran a hand over the bulge in his pants and squeezed with enough force to make him magic the rest of their clothes away but he raised his head and looked in the direction of the eerie feeling.

His black eyes met the intelligent blue eyes of a grey wolf sitting just outside Abby's sitting room window. He watched as the wolf's eyes widened as they met his and furry ran through Snape's veins as the wolf glanced back at Abby who lay half naked beneath him and then turned to run.

Something in Snape's brain clicked and he was on his feet in a second.

"Hey," Abby whined.

Snape grabbed his wand and tilted it at the glass window, "Evanesco!" and the glass vanished just as Snape jumped out of it and broke out in a run after the wolf.

* * *

Snape saw the wolf running towards the forest and aimed his wand at its back and yelled, "Stupefy!" he waited a second and watched as the animal was hit by the force of his spell and collapsed to the wet ground. Snape walked hurriedly over to the body.

He knelt down to pick up the limp body and his suspicions where confirmed, it was Abigail's wolf.

As he started walking back towards the house Abby stepped trough the window and squinted her eyes to search for him, she had thrown back on her wet shirt and pants, when she saw him coming towards her carrying her pet in his arms she ran to him.

"What was that all about?" she asked, looking at Snape through slanted eyes.

Snape could barely hear her over the thundering rain.

He watched as her gaze fixed on the animal in his arms and as her eyes drew wide and looked at him with horror.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Let's just get inside."

* * *

Abby stood with her hands on her hips and frowned at Severus when he straightened from laying the dog in a corner of her living room. She was furious, confused and worried.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked since Severus wouldn't let her anywhere near him.

"All I did was stun him. He is unconscious but absolutely fine."

"He doesn't look fine." She accused pointing at the wolf lying there stiff with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. "His eyes are still open." she realized and took a step towards it.

"Don't." Snape warned through his teeth.

Abigail snapped around to face him, "Don't you order me around in my own house and when it concerns my pet!" She poked him in the chest, which was still bare and beautifully muscled; the scars just enhanced the sexiness. "Put some clothes on." She couldn't think straight with him looming there without a shirt on, especially since she was not satisfied with how earlier had ended.

Snape couldn't hide the male satisfaction from his grin and was even more satisfied when a soft blush rose into her cheeks. But he shot down his, at the moment inferior feelings as he saw the wolf's leg twitch. He pulled Abby behind him, obscuring her view and she punched him in the back.

"Seriously, you can't be that upset because my _dog_ was watching us," she faltered for a second but he caught it, "Going at it."

"He is not a dog." He reminded her.

"I know." Abby said. She now had her hands around him as she tried to get past him. "This is really annoying by the way, and he is still just a naive animal."

"No, he isn't," Snape added as the wolf's legs twitched again. He put an arm behind him to drab onto Abby's shirt to hold her still but she was already still and breathing between his shoulder blades. She finally got it. He felt her fingers clench into his shirt.

The wolf stirred and shot to its legs in fear. Its bright blue eyes darted around for an escape but finding none it cowered back against the wall looking up in terror at Snape. It knew it had no chance against him in such close proximity.

Snape raised his wand and uttered a spell to force the animal to take its human form. The room was engulfed in blue light which slowly faded to a bright white as the wolf's bones and structure lengthened, his claws became hands and feet, his fur vanished and his human features started to show.

Then there he was a naked human cowering in the corner where the wolf had been.

* * *

Abby pushed against Severus' back again as he threw the wolf a cover. She rounded Severus not knowing what to expect, either a man or a wolf on her floor, but was shocked to see a young boy, around the age of seven or eight, wrapped in her cover, shivering, looking scared and defeated.

Not caring that he was a werewolf, not caring if he was dangerous she tried to get to him, to make him know that everything was alright.

Snape grabbed her by the upper arm. And she tried to wrench it out of his grip turning on him. "For heaven's sake, he's just a little boy."

Snape reluctantly let her go at the look in her wide eyes, she was going to help this boy and he couldn't do a thing to stop her.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she knelt down beside the boy and slowly raised her hand to wipe his grayish blond hair out of his face. It was such an unusual color on the little boy, but it was the same of the fur her wolf had – but then again, this was her wolf. Then she saw his eyes – the same pale blue eyes she had been staring into for the past few months.

Abby was surprised as the child let her touch him and even shifted closer to her so that he was almost on her lap, he did this shyly. But she shouldn't have been surprised, because they had had a great relationship when he was a wolf.

"I'm… I'm sorry ma'am. I would have told you but I don't want to be thrown away." He was sobbing and his words were slurred.

"Why are you here, you little scoundrel?" Snape cut in softly but viciously before Abby could have said anything. The child started to shake and cry even more.

"How dare you!" Abby yelled and the fierceness of her glare cut Snape.

**_AN: Who is this kid?_**

**_Rhetorical question. You wouldn't know cuz he's from my mind._**

**_Only asked to spike your interest. _**

**_I already know eveything about this kid to the size of his shoe, so the next chapter shouldn't take to long._**


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter Seventeen_

Snape looked down into green eyes and felt the look of horror and hurt that where there.

"He's just a little boy, Severus." She repeated.

But Snape didn't hear what she said after that, he just stood there and watched as the green eyes and reddish hair turned back to grey eyes and long blond hair, painfully slow. It was the look of confusion that made him blink and the image was gone.

Abby was looking at him as if he were doing something strange. Snape's heart was racing, for some reason he felt embarrassed and on the verge of throwing punches on something. The disappointed look on Abby's face earlier was not one he wanted her to look at him through again; he had seen it to many times. He couldn't handle it from her – didn't want her to be disappointed at him, not Abby.

He turned and headed for the front door.

* * *

Abby sat on the floor and watched after Severus until he was out of sight. Only when she heard the front door slam did she let out her breath and turn back to the boy. She didn't like the way Severus had just looked at her – as if she were someone else, as if she were someone he didn't want to see. His eyes had looked so haunted.

She met the pale blue eyes of the little boy, he still looked frightened, but he had stopped crying. She dried his tears with an end of the blanket.

"Sorry." He said.

"About what?" she asked.

"Will he be mad at you now? I didn't mean for him to get mad at you. I know he is mad with me but I couldn't stand it if-"

"No," she stopped his rambling, "He's not mad at me or you. I'm pretty sure he is mad at himself." Abby watched him for a second, "What's your name?"

"Zachary." His eyes were still wide but he tried a soft smile for her.

Abby didn't know how to start; there was too much going on. What was she supposed to do with him? Where was he from? Why was he here?

"Why are you here?" she asked.

He flinched. She was about to consol him but he answered her before she could. "I had no where else to go. I was walking through the woods over there," and he pointed out the window, "And I smelt you and when you didn't hurt me I just…I just didn't want to leave. I was happy here."

She could tell he was about to cry again and she didn't want him to so she hugged him again. "It's okay, I'm not mad. It's okay that you wanted to stay." She thought about the questions she wanted to ask him but realized that even if he answered a few of them it would be easier to understand with Severus there.

"Now, we do have a lot to talk about okay?" she looked down at him with a soft smile as he nodded halfheartedly. "You look tired, how about you go upstairs into the guestroom and we'll talk about it tomorrow." He nodded and they slowly got up.

She walked him to the stairs and realized that he had been living with her for the past few months, "Well, you know where it is don't you?"

He smiled and nodded, "See you in the morning ma'am."

"You can call me Abby."

* * *

Abby walked into Snape's house a little drenched, she had knocked for about ten minutes and decided it was fruitless so she just opened the door and walked in. It was still dark and dusty, looking as though no one lived in it. She had looked in the kitchen and living room and thought that Severus might then be upstairs. She walked slowly up the creaky steps, not knowing why she was creeping up them but it just made more sense to rather than skip up the stairs. She saw a short corridor with two doors leading into probably bedrooms separated by a very narrow corridor of book shelves.

She stepped into the room farthest from the stairs and only saw storage. Everything was covered by a sheet that could have been made in prints and colors but this wouldn't be known since the sheets were covered in layers of dust and connected by spider webs. Abby felt a shiver run down her spine.

Abby closed the door and walked to the second door. It creaked as she opened it and she stepped inside. This room was the cleanest in the house. There was a small bed on the far side with an old side table holding nothing on it. There was also a wardrobe standing idly by the wall opposite the window. And a small book shelve was holding some very old looking books and old looking paper with what looked like feathers on top of them. The furniture was all made out of dark wood. There was no character in the room, nothing that made it feel like someone had ever been in it, besides for the books and feathers. But it must be Severus' room.

She remembered how he had said that this was the first time he had been back here in many years. Could his life here have been that bad that he refused to come back? Why did he come back now? What would her life be like if he never had been here when she came back home those few weeks ago. Zachary would have still been here, and she would have still received that letter from her cousin. She would still have found out about magic and his world. But would she have taken it the same way if he hadn't been here with her?

Abby had reached his bed and sat down on it. It was a bit hard for her tastes but it wasn't uncomfortable. It didn't seem to match the wardrobe or the bedside desk, which where smaller, as if for a child.

Abby couldn't even imagine what his childhood was like. She wanted to know but she didn't want to pity him, mainly because she knew he wouldn't want her to. He might not even tell her anyway, but he did tell her many things she thought he wouldn't.

Abby found that her eyes were closed and she opened them to find the ceiling above her. She turned her head into his pillow and breathed in his unique sent. It wasn't cologne or a sweet smell but it was wild, spicy and had substance. It made her stomach clench, like when it would if she were really hungry and smelt food. She stared at the ceiling again and tried to imagine Severus as a child, lying here just staring at the roof, because it didn't look like there was much else to do in here. Then she imagined him now, on the nights when he wasn't with her, just lying here staring at the ceiling. What would he think about? What were the happiest thoughts he had ever thought in here, what were the worst? Had he ever been in here with anyone but himself? Had he ever done something amazing or fun in here? Had he ever thought of her as he lay here?

She sighed and closed her eyes again.

* * *

Snape opened the door to his room and found Abby lying on his bed. The sight was disturbing yet beautiful. The room was dark and plain, yet there she was bright and elaborate giving the cold room a sense of warmth and comfort. He stood there with his had still on the doorknob and watched her. Her blond hair spilled over his pillow and her hand hung off the small bed slightly. She was asleep; her chest rose and fell softly and evenly. Her light breathing he couldn't hear until he had reached the bed. He didn't remember moving.

He watched her eyes move behind her eyelids and smiled as she frowned in her sleep. He didn't know how long he stood there.

After a while her eyes started to flicker and she opened them to look up at him. She hadn't looked scared, or surprised, it was if she had known he was there. She smiled softly, but it wasn't her happiest smile. There was something there, just behind her eyes, some raw emotion which he couldn't read. He watched as she scooted away from him towards the wall and he lay down next to her. Before he was even on the bed she had her arms wrapped around him. He wrapped his own around her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck and inhaled his skin.

He didn't know what to make of this. It was an act shared between lovers after a long day away from each other. He had never felt such a thing. Did she think that they were lovers? Are they lovers? Why was she here in his room waiting for him? Had she come to tell him she hated him but changed her mind? Had she come in hopes of just holding onto him?

"Where'd you go?" she whispered against his skin.

"Nowhere in particular, just for a walk." He stroked his fingers through her long wavy hair.

"Next time wait for me, I would have come." She said it dreamily and he wondered if she was still asleep.

"I thought you were mad at me." He pointed out.

He felt her lips move on the skin of his neck and wondered if she was smiling.

"Not really." She gave a deep sigh and her hands tightened their hold on his shirt behind his back, "Just a little." As she said it she inched closer to him, pressing her body tight against his. Her legs were sliding over his, her stomach was against his and her chest pressed against his then away and then back against his as she breathed deeply. Yet there wasn't any sexual urgency, she just wanted to touch him, feel him near her, next to her, touching her.

He felt his body come to life but didn't make any advances. Would she know he desired her, does she feel him hard against her? He had the urge to ask her, so he asked, "How's the boy?"

Abby dragged her nails down his back and then lifted the hem of his shirt to run her hands underneath it to touch the bare skin of his back, "He's fine. He is sleeping in the guestroom. I did tell him we had a lot of questions for him in the morning though."

"Oh," he said not knowing what he was responding to. Her hands were kneading his back now, the firm rubbing and grabbing making his breathing a bit more ragged.

"Your so tense." She said and sat up.

He looked up at her with an annoyed stance as she withdrew her hands from his shirt.

"How about I give you a back rub?"

"If you wanted to get in my pants all you had to do was…do." He smiled.

"Pig." But she was smiling to. She forced him out of his shirt and onto his stomach.

Snape nearly groaned as he felt the pleasant weight of her on his backside and her smooth legs on either side of his thighs. "I wish I had some oils or something." He heard her say as she ran the palms of her hands up his back. He ran his hand slowly down her leg and felt Goosebumps rise on her skin and her calf muscle tightened under his touch. He reveled in the way she reacted to him for a moment then pulled his wand out of his pants pocket and waved it near the table. He placed the wand on it and pulled open a drawer, took out a small flask and handed it to her.

Abby took the little bottle and opened it, it let out a soft smell of some sort of spice and…sex. "I don't think I'll ask what you have this for." she said jokingly.

"Ask and I shall tell." He said through a smile. He closed his eyes as he felt the liquid drop onto his skin.

Abby dotted the clear liquid down the valley of his spine and watched it run down his skin. She placed the little bottle on the night stand, which had her leaning over Severus back. Quietly she pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her breasts bare and her nipples tightened at the thought that he didn't know she was like this behind him.

Snape's body stiffened as he felt Abby's soft hand touch his back and then it was lifted away. He heard what sounded like her rubbing her hands together. He heard her soft intake of breath.

"It's getting hotter." Just what she said made his body harden even more.

"I made it for that purpose." He didn't tell her that he hadn't initially made it with something like this in mind.

"Wow, you made it?"

He nodded but he didn't know if she saw and didn't care as he felt her moist heated hands touch his skin again. She started at his shoulders, rubbing hard with her fingers and thumb, and her palms and base of hand. He heard muscles pop and felt her rubbing a bit lower. It continued for a while, he didn't know how long because it felt so good to feel her rough smooth touch working at his muscles. Here and there she would stop to get more oil. She massaged his shoulders and back and even his sides until there wasn't a single tense muscle left in him. He did however have a very stiff one.

His breathing was becoming more raged and Abby had started to slowly grind herself into his lower back and backside. He felt her weight lift from his backside then felt the distinct soft round press of her breasts on his back between his shoulder blades. His breath caught and he felt her breath fan his hair. He reached back for her but she was too quick.

Abby sat back down on Severus when he was fully turned beneath her. Now she was straddling his hips and smearing her oil slick hands over his stomach and chest. His eyes were dark but alive with desire – desire for her and she reveled in it. She gave a little cry as his hand shot out and grabbed her by the nape of her neck to pull her down on top of him.

Severus swallowed Abby's laugh as he pressed his lips to her. He grabbed handfuls of her hair to keep her in place as he explored her mouth. She tasted sweet and addicting, the soft nips of her teeth on his tongue pulling on something tightly in his stomach, making him feel almost desperate for her.

This time he couldn't wait. He was about to reach for his wand out of habit but the spell already soared out of his mouth and suddenly there was nothing between him and Abby.

Abby felt Severus stiffen beneath her and she rubbed into him and stiffened herself as she realized they were skin to skin. She raised her head and looked at his face. He was smiling like a little kid being caught doing something naughty.

Severus smiled up at Abby. Then he felt a little pulse leave her and shudder through him. She was moist against him and she was still grinding on him. He wondered if she knew that she was.

Abby felt Severus' hand on her thighs working there way to her most sensitive spot, as soon as they reached her, her eyes rolled shut and she panted a little. After a few strokes of his thumb she couldn't have anymore she was on the edge and wasn't ready to fall yet.

"I'm ready Severus." He was looking at her through narrowed eyes he seemed to be fighting himself. But he kept stroking her. She tried to shift away from him but his other arm was almost around her waist pinning her to the spot. "Oh," she sighed. Her muscles were clamping, her thights and stomach muscles trembling. She couldn't help the raw moan escaping from her lips. Finally she let go, not fighting him but holding onto him, arching her back and whispering his name.

She had her eyes closed and her breathing was rapid. She could feel Severus' manhood straining hard and heavy underneath her. She could hear his ragged breathing and slowly looked down at him.

Snape looked up into her eyes and was entranced by the expression of pure pleasure on her face. She was even more moist against him now, and he was pleased that he could give her such immense pleasure. But he couldn't wait any longer. "Ready?" he asked hoarsely.

She didn't smile this time just nodded down at him with such a sensuous look in her eyes that he was drowning in it. He watched, almost in slow motion as she lowered her hand down her body, dragging it against her nipples and stomach to wrap around his throbbing member. Her grip was firm but still smooth from the oils. His breathing had slowed as she lifted him and eased herself over him, in a painfully slow movement.

Severus felt her slide over him and suddenly everything sped back up to a normal pace and he felt himself inside of her to the hilt. She sat there for a second just leaning over him with her hands splayed across his chest and breathing hard. Then she began the slow movement of pushing against him, back and forth.

Abby heard Severus grunt and became more confident in her movements. She started grinding harder and lifting herself off of him then setting herself back down. His hands which were on either side of her hips bit into skin and he sat up with her still in his arms so that they were face to face. Staring into his pleased eyes she slowed her pace to something more then sex, something more intimate.

Severus leaning in and pressed sweet adoring kisses against her lips until they opened a slight bit then slipped his tongue inside to slowly explore her all over again. Abby leaned back and grabbed handfuls of the sheets as her body wound up again.

Snape used his arms to pump her more fully against him, urging her pace to quicken as he got tighter and tighter inside of her. They came apart in each others arms neither knowing that they had made love for the first time that night.


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter Eighteen_

Severus lay there with Abby lying on his chest, her left arm hung over his stomach. He felt her soft breath feather across his chest and listened to her slow breathing. Her breasts were pressed against his sides and she had a leg thrown over his thighs. It must be near dawn, but he didn't want it to come. For as soon as day breaks and the sun comes shining in, their precious time like this would be cut short.

He sighed.

After a while he felt Abby stir and tightened his hold on her.

Abby smiled as Severus' arms tightened around her. She stretched her fingers out over his skin and tightened her own hold on him.

"Good morning." She whispered her voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

"Indeed." He said, but it wasn't in a sneer as he always said it. He said it softly and his beautiful voice travelled over her skin.

"Thanks for not running off again." Snape frowned at this but she continued, "I don't ever want to get up. I just want to stay like this forever." Abby whispered.

Severus went rigid, and felt awkward, he didn't know how to respond to something like that. It sounded to intimate and she really meant it, he could tell. His first instinct was not to respond at all, to try and push her away but some part of him wanted to say he felt the same way. Wasn't he just asking dawn to never come just a few moments earlier? Why couldn't he say it out load?

Because he wasn't weak. People who wore their hearts on their sleeves were easily eliminated or influenced and he didn't want to be neither. If he confessed his true feelings she would be a liability, people would be able to get to him through her and he would never want that. Besides he didn't know what his feelings regarding Abigail Anderson meant. It was just a summer thing, he would be going back to Hogwarts at the start of the new term and probably not come back here for the next ten years. He'd be alone again, how he was supposed to be.

"Are you alright?" Abby asked when he didn't say a word after a few moments.

"Yes."

But it wasn't reassuring. She wanted to ask him to be honest but in all reality she didn't want to know, which she knew was stupid and she would eventually ask him, but right now she didn't want to ruin the memory, which again was stupid.

"What's you favorite color?" she asked, trailing her forefinger down his stomach to the dark hair that ran from his navel and disappeared under the grey sheets covering their lower bodies.

Snape shivered under her touch and thought. "I don't really have one."

"Me neither," she said in wonder just looking over Severus' pale skin. "It changes from day to day." She trailed her fingers back up his body and touched his scars, tracing the most vicious looking ones and sighed.

"What color is it today?" he asked leaning his face into her hair and breathing her in. She smelt clean, floral, with something he couldn't place and there was a tint of his own smell on her.

She didn't even have to think about it as she kept touching his pale skin. "White."

Snape smiled into her hair, "Is it now?" he trailed his open palm down her shoulders to her unoccupied hand and entwined their fingers. "Well I believe that today mine will be blond then."

"Have you ever been in here with anyone when you were younger?"

Her sudden change of subject caught him off guard and he removed his hand from hers to lay it over her shoulder. "Other than my mother and father, no."

"So you really didn't have many friends, did you?" she asked.

"I did have one friend but...I don't make a good friend."

Abby didn't contradict him because some how she knew he would not appreciate it and besides, what did she know anyway.

Snape knew that she was holding back thoughts and was thankful. "What was your childhood like?"

Abby smiled, "It was lively. We lived in a two bedroom apartment in the middle of the city. My school was just ten minutes away, I had hated school, wasn't very popular but had a good group of friends and was glad to see them everyday."

"What were you like in school?"

"An outcast." She laughed, "My friends and I would always be those kids that sat in corners and talked about weird things that would make the popular kids uncomfortable." She thought for a moment then laughed again, "While other kids our age were partying and dating, my friends and I would still have slumber parties, write group fan fiction and walk around with nothing particular to be done. I don't think I have ever been to a party until I was in collage."

"I see."

"I know you said you never really had any friends in school but there must have been someone."

Snape lay still for a second, "There was one person, but I ruined our friendship with harsh words."

"Do you ever think that maybe you would have turned out different with one good friend at your side?"

"I don't think like that, because I would have had to have been a different person for me to even have a good friend. And I would never change anything."

"I would have been your friend if I had gone to school with you." Abby said to herself.

"You are nine years younger then I am we wouldn't have been able to go to school together anyway. And no, I don't think you would."

Abby kissed Severus' chest and rolled so that she could look up at him. "Maybe I wouldn't have been your friend but I would have still thought you were sexy. Stared at you in the corridors between classes, drew your name in the corners of my work even." She teased.

Snape narrowed his eyes at her, "Sexy?" he asked raising a brow over a narrowed eye.

"Yeah, sexy. I kind of like your dark, awkward, rude attitude. If I like it now I could have liked it then."

Snape just stared at her.

"What did you do when you had finished school?"

"I was seventeen when I had graduated, then I took three years to continue studying with elder Wizards, after that I travelled a bit doing research and then took a job at Hogwarts when I was twenty-five."

"And you've worked there ever since. Do you really like teaching then?"

"Yes." He answered her without feeling.

"When you were twenty-five I was sixteen." Abby said with purpose. "I would have been in my last year at your school and you would have been my teacher. Ohh," she said kissing him full on the lips then leaning back and closing her eyes tight. "Imagine I could have been having an affair with a teacher. And you with a student. Me and you."

Snape snorted, "Your imagination is exceedingly immature."

"Or maybe just passionate and sexual." She countered with a smile. She took his hand and placed it o her breasts, "Professor Snape, could I get some extra help with my Chemistry Project? I don't really know what I'm doing."

Snape grewing harder by the contact with her and leaned down to capture her lips. He swirled his tongue along hers and she sighed.

"Please Professor, I really need an A."

"Shut up silly girl."

* * *

"So, Zachary was it?" Snape asked looking down at the boy. He nodded and Snape continued. "You're not a werewolf, but you are something of the sort, aren't you?"

Zarchary looked up then, confusion widening his eyes. "But I am a werewolf."

Abby looked from Snape to Zachary.

Snape narrowed his eyes, "Okay. Well why are you not with your family?"

"They are all dead. I lived with my Gran since I was two she told me. Said that my mum and dad where killed." He lowered his eyes again.

"Oh my," Abby said and was about to get up but Severus shot her a glance and shook his head. Abby sat back down, hating that she was going to listen to him.

"Where is your Grandmother now?" he asked the boy.

"They took her."

"Who took her?"

"I don't know who they are but they are like me, or well like she was."

"You mean they were half man half wolf, whereas you can become a full wolf." The boy nodded and Snape asked, "When you came here you were hurt, where you not?"

"Yes, sir. It was late in the night when they attacked us. It was just one at first, he attacked me and hurt me pretty bad but Gran killed him and took me into the woods." He looked up at them then. "Then, another um, well werewolf followed us and he fought my Gran. She stopped him but she was hurt after that."

Abby's heart squeezed as she listened to this little boy. The things he had witnessed were horrible and yet he didn't look fearful. He looked brave and proud. How could grown men stand to hurt a little boy and his Grandmother? What cowards! Zachary should have never had been through something like that.

"Then what happened?" Severus broke Abby's thought of what she would do if she ever met these men.

"Gran and I used to take many long walks at night, especially in our animal form. Every time we did she would point out a specific smell in the air. One day it was gone for a while - she became very nervous- and then a few weeks before the attack the smell was back only different. When she was hurt by the man she told me to find the smell again and follow it. I didn't want to leave her but she said that I had to so I did and I found you." he finally said as he turned his pale blue eyes on Abby.

Snape turned to look at Abby as well and Abby just stared at them.

"I have a specific smell?" she asked.

"It must be your wolf ancestor's smell and with him in wolf form he could have probably smelt you from miles away. The first smell was probably your aunt but then she died and they caught onto the smell again when you arrived." He looked around the room for a moment then turned back to her. "There must be something about you being a _Consoler_ that draws these wolves to you."

Abby raised a brow then wondered, "But then wouldn't other wolves come to me then? Why was he the only one?"

"There aren't any wolves in this area. Besides he was sent in your direction as well."

Snape suddenly remembered the night when he had seen another person in the yard and wasn't sure if it was a wizard or not. Then Snape remembered what Annabel had said to him on the hotel phone two weeks back, '_isn't safe for us right now, especially Abigail' – 'she has been chosen'_. He suddenly had the urge to grab Abby and the boy up and run from the area. Calming his mind he let out a deep breath.

"But if they were bent on finding Zachary they would have spotted my scent and thought to look here." Abby said. Suddenly she felt nervous and looked out the window.

"I know." Severus said. "How long has he been with you?"

Abby thought out loud, "A month before you arrived and then ugh, now you've been here about a month. Then two months now." Abby looked at Severus intensely, "But that's a long time, maybe they never realized I was here."

"Two weeks ago I had seen a man in the yard but I had thought he was a Wizard looking for me. I had wondered why he hadn't attacked when he had the chance and now I know why."

Abby just starred at him, then to assure herself, she said, "But two weeks is also a long time, Severus."

"Then they must be planning something - something to do with you."

* * *

Abby looked down at her bag full of clothes and stupid knickknacks that she wouldn't dare leave without. Severus said to pack everything she needed, and when she had asked for how long he just said that he needed to talk to someone and headed over to his own house.

Zachary was outside rounding up her three dogs and putting leashes on them.

Danger.

They could all be in danger. She had never been in danger before and the thought of that was the only thing about this situation that scared her right now. But as she thought of the condition Zachary had come to her in she felt another type of fear cover her body and squeeze her heart.

"Are you ready?"

She gasped, and turned to see Severus in the door way. "You really think they are planning something?"

"Yes."

"Do you really think they want something with me now?"

Snape could feel it in his bones that they did, but the look on Abby's face said she wanted him to lie to her – but he wasn't about to lie to her, "Abby, they might still want the boy but you are probably now their main target. Remember what Annabel had said to me, that there were conspiracies being formed and that you have been chosen for something? Well I believe her now."

He walked over to her and closed the suitcase for her. Then with the suitcase in one hand and Abby's hand in his other they walked out the door to find Zachary waiting in the front yard with the three eager dogs.

"How are we getting to – where are we going?" she hadn't had time to ask before.

"I'm taking the both of you to Hogwarts, by the means of the Knight Bus." He informed them as he stuck his wand into the air in front of them.

"You are taking us to the school that you work at? Why would we be going there? Wouldn't we put people there in danger and what is a night bus?" Abby stared at Severus madly. Then she heard a _**clang**_ and turned to see a huge Three Decker purple bus standing in front of them.

She stared wildly up and down the dirt road, she hadn't heard it approach and there wasn't so much as dust in the air to show that anything had driven into the yard. It just…simply appeared.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, I'm Stan Shunpike and I will be yer conductor for this evening. Where to?"

Abby looked up at the open doors of the bus, or more likely cruise ship form of a bus. There stood a man in a brown suit, he had very large ears and though he was well into his twenties his face had a few pimples here and there.

After Severus told the man, who was staring at his nails where they needed to go, the man took the suitcase from Severus without looking at him and carried it into the bus. Then he came back and took the dogs from Zachary and this time did look at Severus' face.

His eyes widened, "Blimey, yer Severus Snape, aren't you?"

Snape looked up into the young man's brown eyes and said nothing.

The man turned to the driver of the bus who was, from what Abby could see, much older then Stan and wore thick glasses. "Hey, Ernie, guess who it is?" The old man didn't turn his attention on them but continued eating something which they couldn't see. Stan however continued talking to the oblivious old man. "It's Severus Snape honoring us by using our facilities this evening." He took the dogs and tied them to a bar at the front of the bus.

"This bus is huge." Zachary stated excitedly as he Abby and Severus entered the bus, which was even larger inside then it had looked out side.

"Have a seat right here." Stan said pointing at the first three seats of the bus. "Wow, Severus Snape. I was told you were a Death Eater. Is that true? But yer was really a spy the Daily Prophet had said. What was it like working for You Know Who? Did any exciting things? Did any-"

"Yes." Snape said and glowered at the man.

"Yes to what?" the pimply man asked raising a brow.

Abby was about to ask Severus something but the bus jolted forwards and she almost flew out of her chair. Snape had luckily grabbed her. Zachary was less fortunate he flew straight into Stan.

"Woah, yer alright their little fella?"

Zachary said nothing just sat back down and held onto his seat.

Abby watched as blurs swished past the bus through the window. This was insane.

Severus had asked how long the ride was to Hogwarts and was told by Stan that it wouldn't take long.

"Helpful," Severus muttered as Stan went to stand by the driver.

**_A/N: and they are off to Hogwarts!_**

**_Now we'll start to see old friends, new enimies and so on._**

**_Now, what is really bothering me is...the lack of reviews. It saddens my heart that this story isn't quite to interesting...is that it? _**

**_Has it become dull? I can only fix something if i know it's broken...anyway...review! please. even just to say if it is dull._**

**_Not many Severus fans out there are there....*sigh*_**


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter Nineteen_

Abby stared in awe at the massive castle sitting between mountains and forests, in the short distance. It was surrounded by the forest and fields and to one side there was a wide lake. It was a stunning site.

"Wow." Zarchary stated.

"This is a school?" Abby whispered, astonished.

Severus looked down into her wide eyes and saw the excitement there. "Yes, this is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"It's a castle." Zachary stated the obvious.

"It must have thousands of rooms. I have never heard of any castle this large, it's so massive how does no one ever investigate what it is?" Abby asked.

"It's save-guarded by the most difficult spells to unravel, which only the headmaster would know how to vanquish." Severus looked up towards the castle walls and saw a purple cloaked figure moving stealthily towards them. "Speaking of which, there's the headmaster now."

Abby looked in the direction Severus was looking and saw a man gliding towards them. Glide was the only word that described it. As he got closer it looked as though he was floating across the grass. When he was but a few feet away and she noticed his features she was baffled to see that he was a very elderly man. He had moved so gracefully and fast-paced that it surprised her.

He came to stand before her with a large smile and extended his long-fingered elegant hand towards her.

"You must be Abigail Anderson. Lovely to meet you. I am Albus Dumbledore." He said.

"It's nice to meet you." His hand was soft yet firm against hers and his pale blue eyes glittered behind his half-moon spectacles. He was tall and thin but exuded such life. He had long silver hair matching a long silver beard and a crooked nose.

He turned away from her to look down a Zachary who was standing to Abby's right. "And you my dear boy must be Zachary."

Zachary gave the headmaster his hand and said politely, "Yes sir, how do you do?"

Dumbledore laughed and said, "Wonderful. It is a beautiful day, with its blue skies and cunning surprises." He said and Abby noticed a glint to the man's eyes.

Dumbledore bent to pet the dogs which wagged their tails and licked his fingers as he looked up at Severus. "Severus, it is a pleasure to have you back on school grounds." He gave a short laugh and said, "You finally leave this place for yourself and only stay away for three weeks."

For a moment Abby felt a sting of guilt.

"As I am sure you remember, Headmaster, I did not leave of my own free will." Severus said nonchalantly.

Dumbledore turned back to Abby who was still looking at Severus. "I am delighted to have both you and Zachary to stay here. Think of this old place as a home away from your home. Severus has recommended a room with a view of the grounds and it has been fully equipped with all things you may require." He smiled as he continued, "I have made extra arrangements knowing that you are a muggle-"

"Oh you didn't have to." Abby cut in but the man's smile just widened and turned more sincere.

"My dear, it was of greatest benefit to me, for I have always wanted an excuse to fiddle with muggle equipments. I have a friend who is muggle and she has supplied me with some very strange objects which I could not wrap my mind around what they were." Dumbledore stood in one smooth move, "I do however regret to inform you that your pets will have to stay with the grounds keeper. But do not fear he is the most gentle animal lover in both Wizarding and muggle worlds."

Abby watched as the man lifted what she recognized as a wand out of his purple robs and watched as all of their luggage disappeared. "They will be in your rooms. If you will follow me now let us go see the Games Keeper."

* * *

Abby looked across the large table at the massive man called Hagrid. He was probably twice the size of her. He had a very bushy mop of black hair that was dangling over his shoulders which were as wide as the table. She could barely make out his mouth because his mustache and beard were just as bushy. He had a gruff voice and she had a hard time understanding some things he was saying but as she watched him gently play with her dogs which he could crush with one hand she felt no more fear of him.

He was so gentle and kind that even Zachary who had been hiding behind her at first edged closer to the massive man to play with the dogs as well.

Abby gasped as something heavy fell into her lap. She looked down to see Hagrid's own dog Fang staring from her to the biscuit on the table in front of her.

"Fang! Get yer filthy 'ed off the Lady!" Hagrid roared but Fang just kept drooling on Abby's jeans.

She laughed and stroked the dog's wrinkly face. "It's fine Hargid."

Abby noticed Severus grimace beside her as he watched the dog soak her clothes with slim. Dumbledore just smiled and looked at something in the corner of the room as if it interested him greatly.

Hagrid blushed and said, "They'll be fine stayin' 'ir. Fang'll keep 'em out of the Fr'Bidden Forest. Don't want 'em goin in there without me."

"Thank you." Abby said. She did feel that they would be fine with him, they looked like they have already bonded with him and they were cautiously sniffing at Fang who seemed to be excited about having other dogs there.

"I think that we should show Abigail and Zachary to their rooms." Snape said and got to his feet leaving his biscuit and cup of tea untouched – he had declined the offer but Hagrid had been so nervous, just having all these people in his home that he must have not heard. Abby had also declined the offer but at his insistence she had finished half of everything her had given her. Half of the biscuit out of politeness, though it was almost as hard as a rock and only half of the tea, which was actually really good, because the tea cup was the size of a bucket.

Dumbledore was suddenly also on his feet, "Of coarse. Hagrid it was a delight, the tea was superb," This got another blush out of the gentle giant, "and I have had muggle-dog food brought in for Miss Abigail's dogs.

At this Hagrid scoffed, "Muggle-dog food?"

Abby smiled and thanked him but was forced out of the hut but Severus' hand on the small of her back.

As they walked towards the castle Abby's head moved from side to side to take everything in.

A chuckle came from Dumbledore and he said, "My dear, you will have your entire stay to search the grounds."

"It is so beautiful here."

"That it is, but I'm afraid it is too much beauty to take in all at once. I have been her for decades upon decades and have still not seen it all. I find a new room in the castle itself almost every week."

"That's amazing." Abby said smiling up at Severus.

"Oh," Dumbledore said in surprised recollection, "Severus, I meant to inform you that there are quiet a number of students here for the summer. I am sure you recall that I have taken it upon myself to protect all students and their families who had taken part in the last war, rather then letting the ministry do it. Until the rest of the Death Eaters are caught and convicted these people might be targeted and murdered. I have discussed it with other teachers that usually stay here during the summers and we have decided that for those who have nowhere to go, it is safest for them to stay here for the time being."

Abby watched the slight frown cross Serveus' features but noticed it hadn't reached his eyes.

"Fantastic." Severus said sarcastically.

Abby smiled and started looking at all the angles and designs of the castle walls zoning out what the Headmaster and Severus where talking about.

* * *

The Headmaster had told Abby that he had arranged for Zachary to stay in the Gryffindor dormitory with students that were his own age. But only if this was okay with Zachary. Slightly nervous but brave, Zachary said he would enjoy meeting kids his own age but insisted that Abby come when he was to be introduced.

Snape had stayed on the outside of the Gryffindor common room as Abby went inside with Zachary.

She was taking everything so well, so was the boy. Here they were, out of their element in a strange place and have already made friends with beasts and people they have never come across before.

He could tell that everyone that has met Abby so far had immediately liked her. She was beautiful and kind, funny and intelligent – why wouldn't they like her?

She seemed excited to be here, but he however was not. He could deal with the students and teachers. Students had to respect him and most of the teachers knew what he really was but he felt the stars of the other people that where now staying at the castle. They didn't trust him did they? Some of them just stared at him with curiosity, others in accusation. He didn't know which was worse. He didn't want this attention.

He heard the door behind him creak open and the loud chatter from within drift out. He turned to see Abby, slightly flushed and smiling come towards him.

"Wow, some of them have really never met anyone like me - me as in a muggle. They had so many questions." She walked up to him and leaned against the wall by his side, looking up at him she said, "Dumbledore said that he had to tell them some does and don'ts, I am assuming about Zachary being a wolf, and that you could show me to my room."

Severus looked down Abby's body, her long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "Indeed."

As they walked Abby couldn't stop looking at everything. "It is still freaking me out that the people in these pictures can move and talk." She said as Severus walked back to her after noticing she wasn't at his side.

"Well it is freaking me out that people in you pictures don't. I mean honestly, what is the point!" said the man sitting on a horse in the frame.

Abby smiled. It now didn't surprise her that in the Wizarding world they didn't need technology. Who would ever get bored when there were millions of pictures you could talk to?

Severus took her hand, thinking it was the only way to keep her from stopping to look at something foreign to her ever ten seconds.

With her soft hand in his, they finally made it to her room. He opened the door and allowed her to enter ahead of him.

Abby was surprised at how…Muggle the spacious room looked. It had warm yellow wall paper, a desk with a computer, lovely old antique furniture and a television with the latest entertainment system. It was actually disappointing after all the exciting things she had seen that day. She walked over to the window and looked out and down at the beautiful scenery. Her room over looked the lake and forest, she saw owls swooping back and forwards from a tower, people in cloaks and ordinary clothes walking, sitting and playing in the fields and something moving beneath the surface of the lake.

"It's beautiful." She said turning to Severus. And he knew she wasn't talking about the room. "Is your room far?" Abby hated being this forward. She didn't sound desperate did she?

"Actually yes." And he was glad that it was. He shouldn't be near her anymore – shouldn't touch her anymore. It was inappropriate and nothing could come from it. "My quarters are in the dungeons."

"In the cellar?" she asked, eyes widening.

"In one of the many levels of our cellar yes." He notified her.

Abby had a strange feeling that he had picked this room for her, more to keep her far from him then because of the beautiful view. But she had hope and waited for him to say something she wanted to hear.

When he didn't and he just stood there looking at the entertainment station she felt her insides start to ach. He left her there alone shortly after. He had offered to take her down to dinner which was in an hour but she told him that she was tired and thought that she should just get used to her room.

* * *

Abby shot awake and looked around the room; she could have sworn she heard something. But there was nothing in her room but the dim shin of the moon outside.

She turned over and tried to get back to sleep but it was no use. Sighing she got up and walked over to the windowsill. She sat there and looked out across the field. The moon's shine made everything look silver under its assault. From where she was she couldn't see the moon but she saw it's reflection in the lake. There were ripples in the lake; it looked as if the ripples where coming from the moons reflection but that couldn't be.

She saw movement by the edge of the forest and looked to see what it was and felt chills run along her arms and spine. She looked down at a sort of horse with no skin. From this far she couldn't tell what was wrong with it but she could however tell that it was looking straight at her as it turned its head towards the castle. Something in its eyes shimmered and what looked like huge bat wings sprouted out of its back.

Abby gave a cry and fell back as the beast rose into the air. She stumbled back towards the bed and refused to look at the window to see if it had come for her.

Then the noises started.

**_A/N:- I hope people are still reading._**

**_I wonder what this could be???....Brownie point for those who guess right i supoz._**

**_Hmm, a familiar face will be seen next....who can it be._**


	21. Chapter 20

**_A/N: HEY! _**

_Chapter Twenty_

Abby lay there as the moans and howls started getting louder and louder. At first she was terrified but when a voice started saying "Help me, help me!" and chains started rattling somewhere within her room she had finally had enough. That creature out in the forest was scary but this was just ridiculous.

"Okay, I get it, try to scare the muggle. You can stop now." she said to the walls and sounds.

There was a pause and everything was quiet. The quiet made Abby begin to shiver again. Then the noises started again.

"Look, as scary as it was; now you're just wasting your time." She sat up and looked at where the sounds seemed to be coming from.

Something popped into the space beside her head through the wall and Abby screamed despite trying not to.

"Ha! You are still scared, muggle!" said the ghost of a little man with a devilish face. His wide transparent smile was inches away. Abby had never seen a ghost before. Dumbledore had warned her of them but had said that none could nor would harm her. Still seeing the little old transparent man was still disconcerting.

"Just surprised me that's all."

"I know you! You arrived with Snivellus Snape today." The ghost said in a nagging sing-song voice. "Woman shudder at the touch of him, student wince at the thought of him and man grimace at the sight of him."

"Do they now?"

The ghost pulled himself ramrod stiff and imitated Severus' "Indeed." Then he blew a rude raspberry and started bouncing off the walls.

After a while Abby asked him to stop but he didn't. Then he started to sing _'You loves Snivellus Snape, you lurves Snivellus Snape!'_ She denied it like a school girl and told him to stop pouncing off walls. When he didn't she started throwing things at him but he seemed to have taken that as an invitation to start a pillow fight.

After a while Abby lay on the bed exhausted and looked over at the ghost. He seemed to be wheezing and the thought of him being as tired as she was seemed really funny to her so she burst out laughing – it was better then tears.

She watched as the ghost looked at her with a confused look, his head cocked to the side like how a dog would if he didn't know what you were demanding but was trying hard to figure it out.

She watched as he shrugged and hit her in the face with the pillow.

"Hey!" she shrieked and threw it through him. "I wasn't ready." She sat up and let out a breath. "Can we call it a truce now? It's hardly fair if the pillow can't even touch you."

The ghost just stared at her and didn't move. Suddenly Abby's stomach rumbled and she said, "I wish I would have gone down for dinner."

_Crack!_

Abby swung around at the sound and stared down at a small creature in a sweater two times its size. It was a little over three feet tall, with large green eyes and large pointy ears and nose. It wrung it's large, long fingered hands into the hem of its maroon sweater and looked up at her with watery eyes.

"Dobby, will gets you something to eats if, you is hungry Ms Anderson." The creature looked from the mess on the floor over to the ghost who had started making more mess and his eyebrows furrowed and he pointed a long boney finger at him. "Peeves! Dobby will call the Bloody Baron and the Bloody Baron will punish you!"

The ghost froze with the television in its arms and glared at the little creature. He put the television down on the floor, stuck out his tongue at them and _popped_ out of the room.

Abby just looked at the little creature, then at the light creak behind her she saw that everything – the television, the pillows, the clothes and lamps – were back in the places they had been before. She looked back at the little thing.

"I is Dobby, ma'am. Professor Snape has ordered that Dobby tend to your all wishes. Dobby is happy to do this. What would you likes to eat?" he gave her a bow so low that his nose touched the floor.

He seemed so courteous, despite the grammar. She extended a hand to him and said, "Abigail Anderson, you can call me Abby. Pleased to meet you, Dobby."

His huge eyes widened even more. He took her hand and burst into tears. "Never since Harry potter, his Weezey and Ermiony has anyone been so nice to Dobby." Abby didn't know who he was talking about. Then Dobby's eyes widened and he hit his head against the bed post, "And Headmaster Dumbledore, he is the bestest Wizard in the world."

She was about to stop him from continuing to hit himself when _Crack_ and he was gone again.

_Crack_ and he was back again with a large tray of a wide range of foods and goblets. He placed this on the floor in front of where she sat and bowed again.

"Dobby be going now then, to let you eat in peace." He turned.

"Wait, are you busy? Could you stay for a while incase that ghost comes back?" Abby reached for a sandwich as she watched him slowly turn back to her with the saddest look on his face.

"Oh, I mean…if you don't want to you don't have to."

"No! Dobby is happy. Winky says that Dobby is such a Fairy when it comes to his emotions. Dobby will stay until you want him to leave." He looked so determined Abby wondered what she had really asked him to do. "And Dobby will speak to the Bloody Baron for true. Peeves is a very naughty poltergeist."

"So…if you don't mind me asking," She took a bite of her sandwich, "what exactly are you?"

Dobby nodded and looked thoughtful. "Dobby heard tell that Ms Anderson is a Muggle. Dobby is a house-elf, Ms Anderson." He said proudly, puffing out his chest.

"A house-elf?" she asked, "Oh, and call me Abby, everyone does."

"Us house-elves are bought or sold to Wizarding families to serve for rest of our lives. Dobby to have been house-elf to a family for many years but Harry Potter is saving Dobby from his family and now Dobby worked for Headmaster Dumbledore for compensation."

"Bought and serve? That's awful." Abby said looking down at the little creature.

"Yes." Dobby said sadly, "It is good when we have good families but many have very very bad families to work for. Dobby had too been with a very bad family." It looked as though it had cost him a lot to say that and she was worried that he would hit himself again.

"Are there many of your kind?"

"Oh, yes, Ms Anderson. Many are free and work for Headmaster Dumbledore but still many have to stay with their families. If you is wanting to, Dobby can take you one day to the kitchens to be seeing the other House-elves."

"That would be great." She said then asked, "You said earlier that Severus told you to watch out for me?" Abby asked.

"Yes, Professor Snape wants you to have nothing but comforts while you is staying here." He puffed out his chest again, "Professor Snape is saying Dobby will do, and it is good that he has picked Dobby not of Winky." He leaned in closer to Abby and whispered, "Winky do nothing but whine and moan, she is not respected house-elf, not good at all. Does not listen to orders given by Wizards anymore."

Abby tried to follow everything he was saying but smiled and nodded.

"So if you is needing anything, anything, all you is having to do is ask for him to come and Dobby is ready to do everything."

"That's really nice. I could use company now and again."

"Dobby can find you company, anyones you want." He smiled brightly.

She smiled to and a thought came to mind. "Dobby what time is it?"

"Twelve past midnight, Ms Anderson."

"Do you know where Severus' room is?" she watched his eyes widen and fear come into them.

"Professor Snape has his quarters in the dungeons. No one is ever been down there but the Headmaster."

"So you don't know where it is?" Abby sighed.

"Dobby knows all rooms of castle. But Professor Snape does not let anyone or Dobby into his quarters."

"Well could you just show me where it is?" she prompted.

Professor Snape will be angry with Dobby," He looked like he was about to cry and Abby was about to tell him to never mind when he continued, "but Professor Snape is telling Dobby to do anything Ms Anderson is saying." He looked so torn.

"He won't be mad if I told him I wanted you to show me." Abby ensured him.

The little house-elf looked determined again, "Dobby will take you to Professor Snape's quarters. But it is too far to walk at this time of night."

Abby was about to ask how they would get there then when the little creature took her hand and _Crack_ she felt something pulling her from behind as everything around them fell away and it was pitch black for a moment.

A second later and another _Crack_ and Abby fell to the floor in a pitch black room.

"Dobby isn't looking, Dobby isn't looking!" The elf said in a pleading voice at her side and _Crack_ he was gone.

The room was still dark but she could feel someone watching her.

"Abby?" it was Severus' voice. It didn't sound as if he had been sleeping.

"Um, I'm sorry. I know it's late….am I bothering you?"

She was met by silence but then she heard soft foot steps right by her. She gasped as his arms wrapped around her shoulders and he helped her up.

"_Lumos._" Snape said and the wand on his bedside table lit up the room slightly.

"Did we wake you?" she asked looking down at his black shirt and pants.

Snape just looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

This wasn't what she had expected when she had decided to come to him. But what did she expect?

"I…" she swallowed and raked her brain, "I wanted to know what those horse things in the Forest are." She sighed inwardly.

Snape watched her chest rise and fall. "Indeed."

* * *

Snape looked down at Abby's upturned face. Her hair was in a high ponytail but looked ruffled and horrible, its blonde tresses dangling down her shoulders and face. She wore nothing but a pair of blue shorts and a white shirt. He pulled her over to an armchair and pushed her down into it, rubbing his hand against her back to see if she was indeed also not wearing a bra. She wasn't - he groaned, his body coming alive. He hated this constant need for her.

"That is not why you have come to me this late at night." He told her.

Abby turned slightly to look up at him. His face was unreadable – but when had it ever been readable? His eyes where hooded in the soft wand light, his hands crossed over his chest, his features bored.

"I…" she didn't like him when he was like this, "I didn't know I needed a reason to want to see you."

"Miss Anderson, some people -"

"No." she cut in, "I'm not letting you change personalities on me when ever you want." She walked to the door, opened it, "I was terrified and alone, but I guess I'll be fine." And she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

It was a bathroom.

"Shit." Abby frowned, "Ugh, I need you Dobby."

_Crack._

"You is needing Dobby, Ms?" he looked so pleased.

"Could you take me back to my room?"

Dobby nodded and raised a hand to her. She took it as the door swung open behind her. Severus caught her eye and she saw that there was something in his eyes again. _Crack_ she was on the floor in her modern room.

"Dobby, I think I will go to sleep now." she told the elf and as she turned to look down at him _Crack_ he was already gone.

* * *

Snape lay on his bed and stared at the darkness above him. She had said she was terrified. Why didn't he go after her? It's better this way. She had looked so good, his body was still calling to hers. Was she mad at him? She didn't look particularly mad, but she should have been. She probably was.

Snape turned on his side. She had seen Thestrals, was it because she had seen her mother or father die? Did she say that she actually watched them die?

He turned back on his back and sat up. Was she up there now, scared and alone? He liked the loneliness, but she didn't deserve to be alone – especially since she didn't want it.

* * *

Abby heard something like a wave crashing coming from the fireplace. She sighed and said without turning, "Peeves, I really am tired of your little games. Don't make me call Dobby to get the Bloody Baron."

Snape walked over to her bed and sat down. She turned so quickly she hit his side and she gasped. Before she could say anything to him he lay down next to her under the sheets and pulled her into his arms.

Abby felt him press a kiss to her hair and wrapped her arms around him.

Snape knew he shouldn't be here. The more he was around her the more he wanted to be around her, but he shouldn't be around her. Maybe he could just stay for this one last night.

**_A/N: the reviews are slacking...i see that people are reading but......they aren't leaving me anything_**

**_you know some might find that as being rude. i know i sure do!_**

**_i always try to leave a review when i read someone's fic....wana know why...??_**

**_cuz i am not rude......... "(_**

**_anyway more to come!_**


	22. Chapter 21

**_

* * *

_**

AN:- Thank you to those of you who are still reading and giving my story a chance. :)

_Chapter Twenty-one_

Abby awoke with a start, breathing hard. She had dreamed about that horse thing but she couldn't remember what it was about. She turned over to where Severus was laying next to her last night to find the space empty.

Abby sighed and covered her face with her arms, blocking out the early morning sun. She was drifting back to sleep when she heard a soft clearing of a throat. She turned towards it and found Dobby sitting in the middle of the floor at end of the bed. He had his hands over his eyes and his ears lay against his face.

"Dobby?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't remove his hands but spoke through them, "Professor Snape is telling Dobby to wait for Ms Anderson to wakes to take her down to the Great Hall for Breakfast."

"You can remove your hands, Dobby." Abby told him as she got out of bed.

He did so, tentatively. "Thank you, ma'am. Should Dobby leave while you is getting dressed?"

"I'll just pop into the bathroom; you could wait here if you want."

Dobby looked astounded. "You is knowing how to do magic? But Dobby is hearing tell that you are a muggle."

Abby smiled, "Ugh, no. I meant that figuratively." She left him there to mull over her words and changed into a long skirt and blouse. How would she know how she is meant to dress?

When she came back out Dobby was staring at the entertainment station. He was touching the words under the buttons and scratching his head. He looked utterly puzzled.

"I'll show you how it all works one day, if you'd like."

Dobby jumped as if she had surprised him, "Oh, Ms Anderson has startled Dobby." Then he gave her a shy smile, "Dobby is curious as to what this object is being used for by muggles."

"Great it's a date."

He looked at her expectantly. She looked back.

"Which date is when you will be showing it to Dobby?"

Abby laughed, "Oh…well when ever we have time. I'll just call for you." she winked at him.

Dobby smiled widely. "We must be going, breakfast is already being served."

* * *

Abby hesitated outside the two doors of the Great Hall. Dobby had already cracked away and she was suddenly nervous. Would Severus be in there? What if he wasn't? She wanted to go back to her room but always one for a challenge she swung open the doors in front of her.

It was a beautiful room. It had antique everything, and everything looked as though it was for royalty. There were rows of tables, not even a quarter of which were full but there must have been at least two hundred people in the room. The ceiling was magic, literally. It wasn't really a ceiling; it showed a blue cloudless sky and kept going to the heavens.

But Abby wasn't searching for its dinning room details. She scanned the room for the dark man and found him sitting alone at a table on the far side of the room. He had his head arched over the table and looked as though he was reading something. He didn't look up.

When she was just a few steps away from him movement caught her eye and she turned to the tables to the left of the one Severus was sitting at. It was Hagrid. He was sitting with Dumbledore and another woman and was waving her over. She took one last glance at Severus but he still hadn't looked her way, not wanting to be rude - she turned to Hagrid, smiled and made her way over to him.

* * *

Snape kept his eyes on the plate in front of him. He knew the moment she had walked into the room but didn't know what to do if he had caught her eye. So he didn't look at her. She must have seen him sitting there but still she had sat by someone else. It proved him right.

She had just arrived and already she didn't need him, which was a good thing since now he wouldn't feel so guilty about leaving her to her own tactics. Not that he would have felt so anyway.

And last night was out of pity, she had said she was scared and for some reason he wanted to comfort her. He supposed it was because of the level of sexual intimacy they had shared over the past three weeks. He always told him self that relationships, even just sexual, weren't worth it in the end.

He heard her voice drift from the table to his left and some laughter followed, he couldn't hear what was being said but he felt his stomach churn. He got up and stalked out of the room.

* * *

Abby smiled at Professor McGonagall, Headmaster Dumbledore and Hagrid. Professor McGonagall was an elderly woman; it was hard to tell her age as it was with Dumbledore. She had a very severe expression but over the course of their conversation she had seen her face lighten to a kinder quality. Her hair still had the remarkable youthful color of black and was tied back in a tight bun.

"I teach Transfiguration, the art of changing the structure and appearances of an object and the vanishing of objects." Professor McGonagall said when Abby had looked at her with a clueless expression when she had told her of what she taught.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, "Lovely subject that, I to have taught it in my years as a Professor at this school." The two looked over to Hargid expectantly but he just nibbled at his sausage, looking towards the ceiling. "And Hagrid here is our Care of Magical Creatures Pofessor."

Hagrid dropped his fork and scurried to pick it up, "Erm, yeah. Lots o' 'mazing animals on the grounds an' in the Fr'Bidden Forest. All rel'tively 'armless o'course."

Abby turned to look over at Severus as the other three started into another subject. They started to laugh of something she hadn't listened to and she watched as Severus gathered his things and swept out of the room.

"Excuse me." Abby said, without finishing her food and the other people at the table bid her good day.

When outside the Great Hall Abby looked from side to side for Severus but he was already gone.

Sighing she wondered if she should head back into the hall. She turned to see Dumbledore watching her with curious eyes.

"Oh," she said, somewhat startled.

He smiled and walked towards her, "I will arrange for you, Severus and Zachary to join me for tea tomorrow afternoon, in my office. We have many things to discus and reflect upon. But I leave you this day to explore our magnificent castle."

"Um, sure okay. That would be great. How do I find your office?"

"I will have another student bring Zachary and have Severus find you when the time comes. It is a beautiful day for a stroll of the grounds. I would love to show you around but my duties call for my attention." He said and with another smile he turned and left.

Abby stood there alone in one of the thousands of corridors in the school. She needed to talk to Severus at some point to day, but for now she wanted to explore the outside of this castle.

She didn't see Severus again that day.

* * *

The next day Snape awoke to the screams and horrible images again. When would the dreams stop? In all honesty they had for a while but now they were back again. angry he got up and headed for his empty classroom.

_A few hours later…_

Snape scowled down at the letter in his hands. Grouchy he got up from his table and headed for the doors of his bedchamber. He must find Abby to bring her to the meeting and tea with the Headmaster which would be in an hour? How was he to know where she would be? He billowed through the dungeon corridors pondering where she would be. For some reason however, he knew that he would not find her in her room or anywhere within the castle.

"Great, that just left the entire grounds to search." He grumbled.

* * *

Abby lay on a flat boulder near the lake and reveled in the hot sun that shone down on her skin. Yesterday, she after looking at all of the different flowers and plants within the garden - some she recognized, and some that didn't look like anything she had ever seen - she had found this place. After sitting here for hours she realized that no one could see her through the dense, tall grass nor bother her here, which was great because she just wanted to be alone right now. So today she had dug into her suitcase and found the little black bikini she had stuffed in it, put it on and threw on a long skirt and blouse. She hadn't been sunbathing in a while, especially not in the woods around her house which allowed barely any sunlight in.

* * *

Ten minutes after reading the letter and stomping out into the grounds Snape was even angrier and he didn't know why. He ignored the perplexed looks and avoided the advances. He knew that she would be out here somewhere. He walked the path leading to the lake and walked straight to its edge. He held a hand above his brows to block out the scorching sun and looked around the banks.

* * *

Abby lay on the ground, her arms behind her head and her eyes closed. She hummed and thought of the beauty of this place. She thought of how strange and exciting the past few weeks have been and how bizarre some of things she learnt were. She thought about Annabel and her little children and if everything where true the possibility of them being in danger. Her heart sank, why couldn't she do anything about it? But then her thoughts drifted to an awkward, rude, mean and cynical older man. Severus. He wanted to be alone, she got that, but she had hoped that he would at least want to be around her a little more then he had been for the past three days. Ever since they had arrived here he became distant and even though she didn't want to admit it, it hurt her that he acted as though they hadn't shared….something. But what was he playing at? He had come to her room the first night, even after brushing her off and she hadn't seen him all of yesterday and today.

She frowned slightly when the sun ceased shining down on her. She squinted her eyes to see the man she was thinking of crouched beside her. "Oh," Slightly embarrasses by the way he had found her, she dragged her clothes over herself.

"What do you think your doing, Abigail Anderson?" he asked her with a sneer on his face.

"Biding my time, Severus Snape." She countered.

"What if it wasn't me who found you in such a state?" His eyes looked darker then they already were. They had roamed her body as she shrugged back into her clothes, his body betraying his mind by tightening.

"What," she was puzzled, "it's not like I'm out here naked or doing anything wrong. What the hell is your problem?"

Snape sat down and ignored her question. He didn't know. He wasn't making sense; he was making a fool out of himself. So what if anyone else could have walked upon her and seen her smooth legs and flat stomach? But then again any man that would have seen her would have reached the same way he wanted to.

He let out a breath and said, "Dumbledore said to find you and take you to tea with him in the next three-quarter hour."

Abby sat up and slide closer to him, "Okay." She wanted to confront him about his attitude, to ask him why he wasn't looking at her the same – hasn't really looked at her at all for the past two days, to ask if she had done anything – which was stupid because she hadn't done anything. "I wanted to ask you something."

Snape stiffened as her hand reached out to him. He swiftly got up and pulled her to her feet. "I think that we should arrive early."

Abby narrowed her eyes but let him pull her up and towards the castle again. Okay, she thought, she wasn't going to be the nice one about this any longer. She liked Severus Snape and she didn't know what his problem was but she was going to get him back to being as nice to her as he possibly can.

* * *

Zachary had told Dumbledore everything that had happened to him and everything important that his grand mother had told him. Then Snape had told him about the warning from Annabel and his queries about the situation. Dumbledore hadn't said anything but was the head of the conversation at the same time. And Abby sat there nodding and listening and feeling more useless then she had ever felt in her life.

"So," Dumbledore said after a short silence, "what we should be trying to figure out is why they want Zachary and Abigail." He suddenly looked at Severus, "What do you reckon, Severus?"

Snape thought for a second, "Honestly, I do not know much about werewolves and their dealings. I am curious as to why Zachary can shift into a full wolf since he is a werewolf and not an Animagus. As for Abigail," he didn't look at her, "there isn't any clue as to why they might want her other than the fact that she might be a Consoler. I haven't noticed any spontaneous magic come from her in the time I have been around her."

Abby frowned, '_in the time I have been around her_'. Maybe it wasn't the words; it was in the way he said it – with no ulterior meaning, no hint of that time being great or that it meant anything to him. Embarrassed by her thoughts she tried to focus on Fawkes, the Phoenix that sat at Dumbledore's side.

Dumbledore nodded, "I have a friend, who will know much more on the subject then we do arriving in a couple of days. His name is Angus Silver, he himself is a born werewolf, that can take the form of werewolf any time he wishes."

Snape narrowed his eyes, "What do you think is transpiring, Albus?"

Dumbledore touched a long elegant finger to his lips, "Perhaps they each have something the current leader of the Pack wants, but what this could be I have no idea."

Both Severus and Dumbledore looked from Zachary to Abby.

* * *

Outside of the statue that hid Dumbledore's office, Severus had mumbled about something he had to do and left Abby and Zachary to stare after him as his cloak billowed behind him.

"So," Abby said as they began to walk towards the stairs that would lead to the first floor. "Are you having fun? Are they treating you alright?"

"Oh yes, Ms Abby. The other kids in the Gryffindor house are very nice. I know I'm way younger than them and they don't _have_ to be nice to me but they all are." He said smiling up at her as they walked.

"That's good to hear, Zachary." She returned his smile. He was such a sweet kid.

"Do you know about the school houses?" he asked her.

"Only that there are four of them."

"Yeah, some of the older kids told me about them last night. Said there was Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Said that the Griffindors are brave, the Ravenclaw's smart, the Hufflepuff's pleasant and the Slytherin's cunning posh reptiles."

On the last, he looked guilty and opened his mouth to probably take it back but Abby just laughed. "You kids, but I don't want you judging the Slytherin students because of what other students say about them. Judge on you own terms."

"Yes ma'am." He said. On the first floor they went their separate ways, Zachary went off with some friends and Abby headed back up to the third floor using the stairs she thought she recognized using the first time she had been taken to her room.

* * *

Abby found the painting of the man on a horse she had seen on the way to her bedroom. She looked down the corridor and saw that it spread into three more corridors. Sighing she sat on an elegant chair across from the man in the painting.

She heard him snort and looked up to see him scowling at her. "What?" she asked.

"Some lady you are. Women of your century would have never survived in my own century!" he said looking down his nose at her as his horse ate from a bush next to them. "I mean, heavens, look at how you sit there! Slouched and spread. My people would have been outraged." He shook his head as Abby self-consciously sat up straight. "I have watched young men and women walk these corridors for centuries and ever century that passed attitudes, posture and grace has fallen!"

Abby frowned and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Then she called for Dobby and had him slowly show her to her room.

* * *

It was almost dinner time and again a certain no one had come to walk her down to the Great Hall. Annoyed, she called Dobby and he walked with her down to the Great Hall.

"I promise this is the last time. I think I can now find the Great Hall and my room in my sleep." She told him once outside the open doors.

Dobby smiled, "It is okay if you is ever needing Dobby, Ms Anderson." With that he cracked away.

Abby turned to the open doors of the Great Hall and walked over to them she waited for a group of students to go ahead of her and then she entered he huge room. Her eyes shifted to the table she had seen him sitting at earlier, a group of people sat there but he wasn't among them. Her nerves started to kick in. She started to look for Hagrid or Dumbledore and spotted them sitting on the far right then a lone shadow to the far left caught her eye. She smiled and headed in Severus' direction without looking back at the table to the far right incase they tried to wave her over again.

* * *

Snape felt something and looked up to see Abigail walking straight for him, he would have looked back down at his plate but was disconcerted when he noticed that quite a few people - parents, teachers and students – began to watch her as she closed in on his table. As she sat next to him he kept his eyes on the eyes looking their way and saw expressions of dismay, curiosity, and even a few fearful. But it was the few disgusted stares that really threw him off – and he noticed they came from men he couldn't even name.

"Hi," Came her cheerful voice from his right. As everyone went back to the dinners and conversations he turned to her.

"Abigail." He said her name.

Abby picked up pieces from the assorted selection in front of them. She watched from the corner of her eye as he picked at his dish with his fork. She cleared her throat not knowing what to say but her annoyance at him was starting to simmer.

Snape could feel her watching him. Why was she doing that? Had she cleared her throat to speak to him or to get his attention?

Then her fork came down hard on the dish and its clatter drew a few glances from the people around them. Thank heavens, what she said next she said in a whisper that no one could hear.

"What…is…your problem? Did I do something wrong or is it just you being you? I'm not used to this…this," she said exasperatedly, "this shit! I understand you're a hard man to deal with, Severus, that you like to be alone, that you might not want the company of anyone. I know you don't really know me and I don't really know you but I'm here alone, Severus. I'm alone and I need you right now to be… to be nice to me." She hadn't looked at him as she said this but Snape watched horror creep across her face and her cheeks started to burn. "I hate saying this. I don't sound like me; I'm not like this at all. I sound clingy and I hate it but I don't want you to push me away, Severus. I'm sorry I'm a woman you had sex with and now needs you for a little bit more then that." She looked at him then, her eyes narrowing, "You might think I'm crazy now but I don't care. If nothing else, I thought you were my friend." Suddenly she got to her feet, a look of defeat on her face and practically yelled, "Now act like it." And she turned to leave.

Snape watched as she stormed out of the room. He wasn't the only one that watched. The chatter in the hall had stopped somewhere during her little speech and when she was finally out of sight all eyes were on him. Swiftly, feeling like the asshole he was, he got to his feet and headed for the door. "It's awfully rude to stare, children." He snarled at parents, teachers and students alike.

As soon as he turned the corner to her room he saw her door swing shut. Guilty and hating it he stalked to her door, put his hands on the knob and turned it to find it locked.

"I don't particularly want to see you right now." Snape heard her say through the door.

With a growl he pointed his wand at her door and it swung open. He entered her room to find her sitting on her floor, with her arms and legs crossed, the angriest expression he had ever seen on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks.

**_AN: - (continued from top) - - But thank you even more to those of you LEAVING REVIEWS! lol_**

**_sorry it took so long to post this chapter...wull um but its longer :)_**

**_have been really busy with university applications and stuff, but love Snape and Abby to much to leave them alone for long!_**

**_Now i can't say this enough - - - - - - - - - - - - - - READ AND REVIEW! :)_**


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